Logarithmic growth of systole of arithmetic Riemann surfaces along congruence subgroups (Q2372250)

The systole of a hyperbolic surface \(X\) is defined to be the least length of a noncontractible loop on \(X\). Riemann surfaces of which systoles behave logarithmically in the genus are constructed by \textit{P. Buser} and \textit{P. Sarnak} [Invent. Math. 117, No.~1, 27--56 (1994; Zbl 0814.14033)]. Their Fuchsian groups are principal congruence subgroups of a fixed arithmetic group with rational trace field. In this paper, the authors consider principal congruence subgroups of arbitrary arithmetic surfaces. Let \(\Gamma\) be an arithmetic cocompact subgroup of SL\(_2(\mathbb{R})\). The authors show that the systole of Riemann surfaces associated to principal congruence subgroups of \(\Gamma\) behaves logarithmically in the genus. If \(\Gamma\) is an arithmetic cocompact torsion free subgroup of SL\(_2(\mathbb{C})\), then a similar logarithmic growth relative to the simplicial volume is obtained for hyperbolic 3-manifolds associated to the congruence subgroups of \(\Gamma\). In order to prove these results, a new trace estimate is established for an arbitrary ideal in a quaternion algebra. As a special case of Fuchsian groups, the authors study the systole of Hurwitz surfaces and give the 4/3-bound for a principal congruence tower of Hurwitz surfaces.