Eigenvalues of the Laplacian, the first Betti number and the congruence subgroup problem (Q2563753)

It is proved that every arithmetic lattice \(\Gamma\) in \(\text{SO}(n,1)\) has for \(n\geq 2\), \(n\neq 3,7\) a finite index subgroup \(\Gamma_0\) with nonvanishing first Betti number of \(\Gamma_0\backslash \mathbb{H}^n\). (For \(n=3,7\) some restrictions for the arithmetic lattice are necessary.) This result is not new, yet the method of proof is different from all previous methods in that it brings in the analytic aspect of estimating eigenvalues for the corresponding Laplace-Beltrami operators.