On the non-existence of cocompact lattices for \(SL(n)/SL(m)\) (Q1902202)

The authors show that for \(m \geq 2\), \(n \geq m + 3\), the homogeneous space \(M = SL(n, \mathbb{R})/SL(m, \mathbb{R})\) does not admit a cocompact lattice (i.e., a discrete subgroup \(\Gamma \subseteq SL (n, \mathbb{R})\) acting freely and properly discontinuously on \(M\) such that the quotient manifold \(\Gamma\backslash M\) is compact). For \(n > 2m\), the same result has been obtained by \textit{T. Kobayashi} [Duke Math. J. 67, 653-664 (1990; Zbl 0799.53056)]. For \(m \geq 2\), \(n \geq 2m\) and \(n \geq 5\), a sharper result has been established in a previous paper by the authors and \textit{S. Mozes} [Geom. Funct. Anal. 5, 955-965 (1995; Zbl 0852.22011)], namely that then \(M\) does not even admit a compact form (i.e., a compact manifold locally modelled on \(M)\). -- The proofs of the present paper draw heavily on the methods developed in this previous paper and in a paper by the second author [J. Am. Math. Soc. 7, 159-168 (1994; Zbl 0801.22009)], in particular on superrigidity for actions on principal bundles.