Degenerations of \(\mathrm{SL}(2, \mathbb{C})\) representations and Lyapunov exponents (Q2273139)

Let \(G\) be a finitely generated group, endowed with a probability measure \(m\), satisfying the following two conditions: \begin{itemize} \item[(A1)] \(\mathrm{Supp}\,(m)\) generates \(G\); \item[(A2)] \(\int \text{ length }(g)\,dm(g) < 1\). \end{itemize} In (A2) \(\text{length}(\cdot)\) denotes the word-length relative to some fixed, unspecified, finite symmetric set of generators of G. If \(\rho: G\mapsto \operatorname{SL}(2, {\mathbb C})\) is any representation, the random walk on \(G\) induced by \(m\) gives rise through \(\rho\) to a random product of matrices in \(\operatorname{SL}(2, {\mathbb C})\). If \(\|\cdot\|\) denotes any matrix norm on \(\operatorname{SL}(2, {\mathbb C})\), then the Lyapunov exponent \(\psi=\psi(G, m, \rho)\) is defined by the formula \[ \psi=\lim_{n\to\infty} \frac1{n} \int \log\|\rho(g_1\dots g_n)\|\, dm(g_1)\dots dm(g_n). \] The Lyapunov exponent is the most basic dynamical invariant associated to the random product of matrices, and its properties have been the object of intense research. In the present paper the authors study the asymptotic behavior of the Lyapunov exponents in a meromorphic family of random products of matrices in \(\operatorname{SL}(2, {\mathbb C})\), as the parameter converges to a pole. They show that the blow-up of the Lyapunov exponent is governed by a quantity which can be interpreted as the non-Archimedean Lyapunov exponent of the family. They also describe the limit of the corresponding family of stationary measures on \({\mathbb P}^1({\mathbb C})\).