The virtual solvability of the fundamental group of a generalized Lorentz space form (Q1823518)

Let \(Aff_ n({\mathbb{R}})\) denote the group of all affine transformations of the real vector space \({\mathbb{R}}^ n\) and let \(\pi\) : \(Aff_ n({\mathbb{R}})\to GL_ n({\mathbb{R}})\) be the natural projection. A subgroup \(\Gamma \subset Aff_ n({\mathbb{R}})\) is called G-linear if \(\pi(\Gamma)\subset G\) where G is a real algebraic subgroup of \(GL_ n({\mathbb{R}})\). Let S be a Levi subgroup of \(G^ 0\) and \(S=S_ 1S_ 2...S_ r\) be an almost direct product of simple Lie subgroups \(S_ i\). The group \(\Gamma\) is called a group of generalized Lorentz motions if every \(S_ i\) is a group of rank \(rk_{{\mathbb{R}}}S_ i\leq 1\). (By rank of \(S_ i\) we mean the dimension of any maximal \({\mathbb{R}}\)-split algebraic torus of \(S_ i.)\) Theorem. Let \(\Gamma\) be a G-linear subgroup of \(Aff_ n({\mathbb{R}})\). Assume that (a) \(\Gamma\) acts properly discontinuously on \({\mathbb{R}}^ n\) (i.e. the set \(\{\gamma\in \Gamma |\) \(\gamma K\cap K\neq \emptyset \}\) is finite for every compact \(K\subset {\mathbb{R}}^ n)\), (b) the quotient \({\mathbb{R}}^ n/\Gamma\) is compact, (c) \(\Gamma\) is a group of generalized Lorentz motions. Then \(\Gamma\) is virtually solvable, i.e. \(\Gamma\) contains a solvable subgroup of finite index. The above theorem affirms for groups of generalized Lorentz motions a conjecture due to L. Auslander that if \(\Gamma\) acts properly discontinuously on \({\mathbb{R}}^ n\) and \({\mathbb{R}}^ n/\Gamma\) is compact then \(\Gamma\) is virtually solvable. The theorem is known in the following particular cases: (a) for groups of euclidean motions, i.e. \(G=O(n)\) (Bieberbach), (b) for groups of lorentzian motions, i.e. \(G=O(n- 1,1)\) (Goldman-Kamishima and Fried, when \(n=4)\), (c) when G is a reductive group and \(rk_{{\mathbb{R}}}G\leq 1\) (Grunewald-Margulis).