Conformal actions of higher rank lattices on compact pseudo-Riemannian manifolds (Q2201989)

Let \((M^n, g)\) be a closed pseudo-Riemannian manifold of signature \((p, q)\), where \(n\geq 3\). Let \(G\) be a non-compact simple Lie group of real rank at least \(2\) and finite center, and let \(\Gamma\) be a uniform lattice in \(G\). Assume that there is a conformal action \(\alpha: \Gamma\to \mbox{Conf}(M, g)\) such that \(\alpha(\Gamma)\) is unbounded in \(\mbox{Conf}(M, g)\). Inspired by the recent preprint of \textit{A. Brown} et al. on Zimmer's conjecture [``Zimmer's conjecture: subexponential growth, measure rigidity, and strong property (T)'', Preprint, \url{arXiv:1608.04995}], Theorem 1 of the current paper says that \(\mbox{Rk}_{\mathbb{R}}\, G\leq \min(p, q) +1\), and that \((M, g)\) is conformally flat whenever the upper bound is attained. When the restricted root system of \(G\) is exceptional, Theorem 2 of the current paper gives better bounds for the optimal index of \(\Gamma\) case by case.