Fundamental groups for ergodic actions and actions with unit fundamental groups (Q1825292)

This paper deals with the fundamental groups of ergodic dynamical systems with an invariant measure. Let us call TICC group a T-group with infinite conjugacy classes. It is proved that the dynamical system generated by the action of a TICC group which preserves a finite measure has a countable fundamental group. Furthermore, for a given countable group \(\Lambda \subset {\mathbb{R}}^*_+\) the authors construct an ergodic dynamical system whose fundamental group is countable and contains \(\Lambda\). In a second part, the left shift-action of a countable dense subgroup of a compact group is discussed in detail. The properties of the centralizer of this action are then determined. Using the dense imbedding theorem of a countable dense T-group in the orthogonal one, the authors calculate the groups of outer automorphisms and the fundamental groups of several dynamical systems. The essential result is the following: Let \(K=SO(n,{\mathbb{R}})\), \(G=SO(n,{\mathbb{Q}})\), \(n\geq 5\), \(n\neq 8\), \(\mu\) be the Haar measure on K. Consider the action of G on (K,\(\mu)\) generated by left shifts, and let \(R_ G\) be a corresponding equivalence relation, \(F(R_ G)\) its fundamental group, Aut \(R_ G\) the group of automorphisms, and Int \(R_ G\) the subgroup of inner automorphisms. Then one has: 1. \(F(R_ G)=\{1\}\) \[ 2.\quad Out R_ G=Aut R_ G/Int R_ G\simeq SO(n,{\mathbb{R}})\quad if\quad n\quad is\quad odd,\quad \simeq PO(n,{\mathbb{R}})\quad if\quad n\quad is\quad even. \] Fundamental groups for the action of locally compact continuous groups are also considered. It is shown that any finite measure-preserving action of a semi-simple Lie group with a finite center whose real rank is not less than 2 has a unit fundamental group. Hence follows triviality of the fundamental group also for actions of lattices of semi-simple Lie groups.