Filling in solvable groups and in lattices in semisimple groups. (Q1879797)

In a metric space one can fix \(\delta>0\) and define the `\(\delta\)-filling area' of a loop as the minimal number of loops of length at most \(\delta\) one has to put one next to the other to obtain a net bounded by the given loop. The `filling order' is the order (in \(l\)) of the maximal area needed to fill a loop of length \(l\). The paper under review considers two classes of metric spaces: solvable Lie groups with left invariant Riemannian structure and non-uniform lattices in semi-simple Lie groups with a left invariant word metric. Let \(X\) be a product of Euclidean buildings and symmetric spaces of non-compact type, \(X\) of rank at least 3. Let \(\rho\) be a geodesic ray not contained in rank one or rank two factors of \(X\). The author shows: 1) a Lie group acting by isometries, transitively with compact stabilizers on the horosphere \(H(\rho)\) of \(X\) has a quadratic filling order; 2) the filling order in every irreducible \(\mathbb{Q}\)-rank 1 lattice of a semi-simple Lie group of \(\mathbb{R}\)-rank at least 3 is asymptotically quadratic. In both cases it suffices to estimate the filling order in a metric space \(X_0\) obtained from a symmetric space of non-compact type by deleting a family of disjoint open horoballs. To obtain this estimate the author studies an asymptotic cone of \(X_0\).