Topological proof of Benoist-Quint's orbit closure theorem for \(\mathrm{SO}(d, 1) \) (Q2289407)

Let \(\Gamma\) be a Zariski dense subgroup of \(G=\text{SO}^\circ(d,1)\) and let \(\Delta \leq G\) be a cocompact lattice. \textit{Y. Benoist} and \textit{J.-F. Quint} [Ann. Math. (2) 174, No. 2, 1111--1162 (2011; Zbl 1241.22007)] proved that an orbit of the action of \(\Gamma\) on \(\Delta \backslash G\) is either finite or dense. The present authors prove the same result, but with a more dynamical approach. The statement is obtained as a consequence of the study of the diagonal action of \(G\) on the product \(Z=\Gamma \backslash G \times \Delta \backslash G\), which has infinite volume unless \(\Gamma\) is a lattice. More precisely, the authors show that any \(G\)-invariant subset is either equal to the union of finitely many closed \(G\)-orbit or it is dense. This is first shown assuming that \(\Gamma\) is convex cocompact and then extended to all Zariski dense subgroups of \(G\). The study of the diagonal action of the unipotent subgroup \(U \leq G\) associated to the diagonalizable one-parameter subgroup of \(G\), leads the authors to show that any non-closed \(G\)-invariant subset \(X\) of \(Z\) contains a \(U\)-minimal subset \(Y\) which can be right translated along a unipotent-valued analytic curve \(\mathscr{C}\) staying in \(X\), that is \(Y \mathscr{C} \subset X\). Using a result of \textit{N. A. Shah} [Duke Math. J. 148, No. 2, 281--304 (2009; Zbl 1171.37004)], it is possible to conclude that \(X=Z\).