Corank and asymptotic filling-invariants for symmetric spaces (Q1590002)

Let \(X\) be a Riemannian symmetric space of noncompact type and let \(F\) be a maximal flat in \(X\). The author proves the existence of an embedded submanifold \(Y\subset X\) which is quasi-isometric to a Riemannian manifold with strictly negative sectional curvature, which intersects \(F\) in a geodesic line and which satisfies \(\dim(Y)-1=\dim(X)-\text{rank}(X)\), where \(\text{rank}(X)\) is the maximal possible dimension of a flat totally geodesic submanifold of \(X\). For such \(X\), one obtains in particular that the hyperbolic corank of \(X\) (that is, the maximal possible dimension of the boundary of a quasi-isometrically embedded geodesic hyperbolic space \(Y\subset X\)) is greater than or equal to \(\dim(X)-\text{rank}(X)\). This inequality was also formulated by \textit{M. Gromov} [Geometric Group Theory, Cambridge Univ. Press, London Math. Soc. Lecture Notes Series 182, Vol. 2 (1993; Zbl 0841.20039)]. Moreover, he has conjectured that one actually has equality if \( X \) is a symmetric space of noncompact type (see \textit{M. Gromov}, loc. cit.). Using also the above result, it is shown that the asymptotic filling-invariant \(\text{div}_{r-1}(X)\) [for the definition of this invariant, see \textit{N. Brady} and \textit{B. Farb}, Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 350, 3393--3405 (1998; Zbl 0920.53023)] is exponential for any Riemannian symmetric space of noncompact type \(X\) of rank \(r\geq 1\). Here exponential roughly means that there exist \((r-1)\)-spheres of radius \(R\) whose volume is polynomial in \(R\) and which are hard to fill, i.e. require filling balls of radius \(R\) whose volume is exponential in \(R\). This last result generalizes a previous one established by \textit{N. Brady} and \textit{B. Farb} (see loc. cit.) for the case when \(X\) is the Riemannian product of \(r\) real hyperbolic spaces.