Bounded cohomology of transformation groups (Q2122064)

Let \(M\) be a complete Riemannian manifold, and let \(\mu\) be the measure induced by the Riemannian volume form. Let \(\mathrm{Homeo}_0(M,\mu)\) be the identity component of the group of compactly supported, measure-preserving homeomorphisms. The aim of the paper under review is the search for nontrivial elements in the bounded group cohomology of \(\mathrm{Homeo}_0(M,\mu)\) (and some of its subgroups) by means of a homomorphism \(\Gamma_b\colon H_b^*(\pi_1M)\to H_b^*(\mathrm{Homeo}_0(M,\mu))\). Let \(f\in \mathrm{Homeo}_0(M,\mu)\) and \(x\in M\). The homotopy \(f\sim id_M\) can be lifted to the universal covering \(\widetilde{M}\), denote by \(\tilde{f}\) this lift und by \(\tilde{f_1}\) its time-one-map. Fix a fundamental domain \(D\) for the action of \(\pi_1M\) on \(\widetilde{M}\) and a lift \(\tilde{x}\in D\) of \(x\). Then \(\tilde{f_1}(\tilde{x})\) belongs to a translate \(\gamma(f,x)\cdot D\) of the fundamental domain for some \(\gamma(f,x)\in\pi_1M\). The so defined map \(\gamma\colon \mathrm{Homeo}_0(M,\mu)\times M\to\pi_1M\) is a measurable cocycle in the sense that \(\gamma(f_1f_2,x)=\gamma(f_1,f_2(x))\gamma(f_2,x)\) for all \(f_1,f_2,x\). Using this cocycle the authors define a homomorphism \(\Gamma_b\colon H_b^*(\mathrm{Homeo}_0(M,\mu))\to H_b^*(\pi_1M)\) by mapping any class \(\left[c\right]\) to the class represented by \((f_0,\ldots,f_n)\mapsto \int_M c(\gamma(f_0,x),\ldots,\gamma(f_n,x))d\mu(x)\). This generalizes earlier constructions from [\textit{J.-M. Gambaudo} and \textit{É. Ghys}, Ergodic Theory Dyn. Syst. 24, No. 5, 1591--1617 (2004; Zbl 1088.37018)] and [\textit{L. Polterovich}, NATO Sci. Ser. II, Math. Phys. Chem. 217, 417--438 (2006; Zbl 1089.53066)]. If \(\pi_1M\) surjects onto the free group \(F_2\), or if \(\pi_1M\) is center-free acylindrically hyperbolic, then there is an epimorphism \(i^*\colon H_b^*(\pi_1M)\to H_b^*(F_2)\) and the authors construct \(\rho_\epsilon\colon F_2\to \mathrm{Homeo}_0(M,\mu)\) with \(\rho_\epsilon^*\Gamma_b=i^*\) and a real number \(\Lambda\) such that for all \(c\in H_b^*(\pi_1M)\) the norms \(\Vert \rho_\epsilon^*\Gamma_b(c)-\Lambda i^*(c)\Vert\) converge to \(0\) for \(\epsilon\to 0\). They use this to show that to every nontrivial class in \(H_b^*(F_2)\) one obtains a nontrivial class in \(H_b^*(\mathrm{Homeo}_0(M,\mu))\). It particular the authors obtain infinite-dimensionality of \(H_b^3(\mathrm{Homeo}_0(M,\mu))\) because infinite-dimensionality is known for \(H_b^3(F_2)\) by \textit{T. Soma} [Duke Math. J. 88, No. 2, 357--370 (1997; Zbl 0880.57009)].