Group pairs with property (T), from arithmetic lattices (Q2571719)

Let \(G\) be a noncompact, absolutely simple Lie group (i.e. its complexified Lie algebra is simple) with trivial center and \(\Gamma\) an arithmetic lattice in \(G\). It is proved that there exist an integer \(N\geq 2\), a subgroup \(\Lambda\) of finite index in \(\Gamma\) and an action of \(\Lambda\) on \(\mathbb Z^N\) such that the group \(\Lambda\ltimes\mathbb Z^N\) is torsion-free and has infinite conjugacy classes, and the pair \((\Lambda\ltimes\mathbb Z^N, \mathbb Z^N)\) has property (T). If \(G\) is not locally isomorphic to \(SO(n,1)\) or \(SU(n,1)\) then \(\Lambda\ltimes\mathbb Z^N\) has property (T). Two applications are considered. The first one is related to the Baum-Connes conjecture. It is shown that \(\Lambda\ltimes\mathbb Z^N\) satisfies this conjecture if \(G\) is the adjoint group of \(Sp(n,1)\), \(n\geq 2\), thus providing new examples of property (T) groups satisfying this conjecture. The second application is about von Neumann factors of type II\({}_1\). The class \(HT_s\) of II\({}_1\) factors \(M\) containing a Cartan subalgebra \(A\) such that the inclusion \(A\subset M\) satisfies both the weak rigidity property and the weak amenability property was introduced by Popa. The author provides new examples of \(HT_s\) factors. Let \(\Gamma_n\) denote the group of integer points of \(SO(n,1)\) and let \(\Gamma_n\times\Gamma_3\) act on \(\mathbb Z^{n+1}\otimes_{\mathbb Z}\mathbb Z^4\cong\mathbb Z^{4(n+1)}\) by the external tensor product of the standard linear actions. Let \(P_n\) be the von Neumann algebra of the group \((\Gamma_n\times\Gamma_3)\ltimes\mathbb Z^{4(n+1)}\). It is shown that the \(P_n\)'s are a family of type II\({}_1\) factors in the class \(HT_s\), they are pairwise non stably isomorphic, their fundamental group is trivial and all their \(L^2\)-Betti numbers vanish.