Self-representations of the Möbius group (Q2323062)

The authors consider self-representations of the group of Möbius transformations of the one-point compactification \(\hat{E} = E \cup \{\infty\}\) of a real infinite-dimensional Hilbert space \(E\) whose dimension is \(\aleph_0\). Just as in the finite-dimensional case, one may realize \(\hat{E}\) as the space of generators of the null cone in the infinite-dimensional Minkowski space \(M = \mathbb{R}^2 \oplus E\) endowed with the Lorentzian inner product \(B(-,-)\): \[ B((x_1,x_2) \oplus v,(x'_1,x'_2) \oplus v') = x_1 x'_2 + x'_1 x_2 - (v,v'), \] where \((-,-)\) denotes the inner product on \(E\). Note that the hyperboloid sheet \(\{ B(x,x) = 1 \text{ and } x_1 > 0 \}\) together with the restriction of minus \(B\), is an infinite dimensional hyperbolic space \(H\). If we denote by \(O(B)\) the group of all Lorentz transformations of \(M\), which are linear transformations of \(M\) preserving \(B\), and by \(O_+(B)\) the subgroup of Lorentz transformations of \(M\) which preserve \(\{x_1>0\}\), then any element of \(O_+(B)\) induces a hyperbolic isometry on \(H\), as well as a Möbius transformation of \(\hat{E}\). This is an infinite-dimensional version of the classical interplay between conformal spheres, Minkowski spaces and hyperbolic spaces. The authors define the notion of a kernel of hyperbolic type on a set \(X\) (definition \(3.1\)). It is a function \(\beta: X \times X \to \mathbb{R}\) which is symmetric, non-negative, takes the value \(1\) on the diagonal, and such that \[ \sum_{i,j = 1}^n c_i c_j \beta(x_i,x_j) \leq \left( \sum_{k=1}^n c_k \beta(x_k, x_0) \right)^2, \] for all \(n \in \mathbb{N}\), all \(x_0, x_1, \ldots, x_n \in X\) and \(c_1,\ldots,c_n \in \mathbb{R}\). Given a map \(f: X \to H\) where \(H\) is a hyperbolic space, the function \(\beta: X \times X \to \mathbb{R}\) defined by \(\beta(x,y) = \cosh d(f(x),f(y))\), where \(d(-,-)\) is the hyperbolic distance map, is a kernel of hyperbolic type. Moreover, the converse is true. Any kernel of hyperbolic type can be obtained this way. The authors use the previously known facts, and their refinements, in order to find and classify the interesting self-representations of the infinite-dimensional Möbius group (by interesting is meant that they are not smaller tautological copies of themselves). They find a one-parameter family of such self-representations. The reviewer finds this one-parameter family interesting and intriguing.