Finiteness of minimal modular symbols for \(SL_n\) (Q1587665)

Let \({\mathcal O}\) be the ring of integers in a number field. For a finite index subgroup \(\Gamma\) of \(\text{SL}_n({\mathcal O})\), it is known that there is a surjection of \(\Gamma\)-modules \({\mathcal M}\to H^\nu (\Gamma,\mathbb{Q})\), where \(\nu\) is the virtual cohomological dimension of \(\Gamma\) and \({\mathcal M}\) is the module of minimal modular symbols. Thus \({\mathcal M}\) provides a spanning set for \(H^\nu\), however, not a finite one. \textit{A. Ash} and \textit{L. Rudolph} [Invent. Math. 55, 241-250 (1979; Zbl 0426.10023)] gave a finite spanning set \({\mathcal M}_u \subset {\mathcal M}\) if \({\mathcal O}\) is Euclidean. In the present paper, the author gives a finite spanning set for all \({\mathcal O}\). The proof relies on a classical construction of Minkowski from the geometry of numbers.