Divergent trajectories and \({\mathbb Q}\)-rank (Q2382331)

The \(\mathbb Q\)-rank of a semisimple algebraic \(\mathbb Q\)-group \(G\) constrains the geometry of arithmetic locally symmetric spaces \(\Gamma\backslash G\). \textit{G. Tomanov} and \textit{B. Weiss} [Duke Math. J. 119, No. 2, 367--392 (2003; Zbl 1040.22005)] considered orbits of an \(\mathbb R\)-split torus \(T\), calling the orbit of \(\Gamma x\) divergent if \(t\mapsto\Gamma xt\) is a proper map on \(T_{\mathbb R}\), and asked if there could be a divergent \(T_{\mathbb R}\) orbit when the dimension of \(T\) exceeds the \(\mathbb Q\)-rank of \(G\). \textit{B. Weiss} [Geom. Funct. Anal. 14, No. 1, 94--149 (2004; Zbl 1074.37004)] conjectured the answer is negative. The case of \(\mathbb Q\)-rank \(2\) was shown by \textit{P. Chatterjee} and \textit{D. Witte Morris} [Isr. J. Math. 152, 229--243 (2006; Zbl 1125.22004)]; in this paper it is shown that there are no divergent trajectories when the dimension of \(T\) exceeds the \(\mathbb Q\)-rank of \(G\). Geometrically, this implies that if \(X\) is a locally symmetric space of finite volume, then the \(\mathbb Q\)-rank of the corresponding lattice coincides with the maximal dimension of a closed, simply connected, flat in a finite cover of \(X\).