On the rigidity of certain discrete groups and algebraic varieties (Q1092206)

A rigidity result in the class of Kähler varieties is derived for locally symmetric complex spaces of finite volume and rank\(\geq 2\), as well as for the moduli space of Riemann surfaces of genus \(g\geq 2\). If a Kähler variety admits a compactification of complex codimension at least three and is homotopically equivalent to one of these model spaces, then it is already \(\pm\) biholomorphically equivalent to the model. Our construction uses harmonic maps in a crucial way.