Some virtually abelian subgroups of the group of analytic symplectic diffeomorphisms of a surface (Q2438979)

Here the authors consider diffeomorphisms of a compact, connected surface \(M\) of genus zero. The primary object of interest is the subgroup \(\text{Symp}^r_\mu(M)\) of \(\text{Diff}^r_0(M)\) which preserve a smooth volume form \(\mu\). (\(\text{Diff}^r_0(M)\) consists of the \(C^r\)-diffeomorphisms of \(M\) that are isotopic to the identity.) The paper primarly addresses the algebraic structure of the subgroups of \(\text{Symp}^\infty_\mu(M)\). The overall approach is to analyze the dynamical behavior of such diffeomorphisms and use their structure to develp information about subgroups. The main result is the following: If \(M\) is a compact oriented surface of genus zero and \(G\) is a subgroup of \(\text{Symp}^\infty_\mu(M)\) which has full support of finite type (for example, a subgroup of \(\text{Symp}^\infty_\mu(M)\)) and if \(G\) has an infinite normal solvable subgroup, then \(G\) is virtually Abelian. With this result, the authors can prove the following special case of the conjecture known as the ``Tits alternative'': If \(M\) is a compact oriented genus zero surface, \(G\) is a subgroup of \(\text{Symp}^\omega_\mu(M)\) and \(G\) contains an infinite-order element with zero entropy and at least three periodic points, then either \(G\) contains a subgroup isomorphic to \(F_2\), the free group on two generators, or \(G\) has an abelian subgroup of finite index.