Smooth rigidity of rank-1 lattice actions on the sphere at infinity (Q1902226)

Let \(\Gamma\) be a cocompact lattice in a semisimple Lie group \(G\) of rank 1. Consider the action \(\rho_0\) of \(\Gamma\) on the sphere at \(\infty\), say \(S\), of the symmetric space associated to \(G\). The main result of the paper under review asserts that if \(\rho\) is a smooth action of \(\Gamma\) on \(S\), by \(C^\infty\)-diffeomorphism, which is sufficiently \(C^1\)-close to \(\rho_0\) then any homeomorphism \(h\) of \(S\) which is absolutely continuous with respect to the Lebesgue measure and such that \(\rho = h^{- 1} \rho_0 h\) is in fact \(C^\infty\). -- The author also proves, generalising a result of D. Sullivan in the case of \(G = SO (n,1)\), that for any \(C^1\)-action \(\rho\) of \(\Gamma\) on \(S\) which is sufficiently \(C^1\) close to \(\rho_0\) there exists a Hölder continuous homeomorphism \(h\) of \(S\), close to the identity, such that \(\rho = h^{- 1} \rho_0 h\).