On Sobolev infinitesimal rigidity of linear hyperbolic actions on the 2-torus (Q2583501)

Let \(A\in \text{SL}_2({\mathbb R})\) be a symmetric hyperbolic matrix (where hyperbolic means: no eigenvalue of absolute value \(1\)). Then \(A\) defines an automorphism of \({\mathbb Z}^2\subset{\mathbb R}^2\) which induces an Anosov diffeomorphism of the \(2\)-torus \(M={\mathbb R}^2/{\mathbb Z}^2\). Let \(\Gamma\) be the infinite cyclic group of diffeomorphisms of \(M\) generated by the diffeomorphism defined in this way. The \(\Gamma\)-action on \(M\) is said to be \textsl{infinitesimally rigid} iff the first cohomology group \(H^1(\Gamma, C^\infty(TM))\) vanishes where \(C^\infty(TM)\) denotes the space of smooth vector fields. This action is studied via the Sobolev spaces \(W^s(TM)\). In the article it is proved that \(H^1(\Gamma, W^s(TM))=\{0\}\) for \(s<1\). On the other hand, \(H^1(W^s(TM))\) is infinite-dimensional if \(s\geq 1\). To check this, an infinite family of vector fields is constructed for which the associated cohomology classes are linearly independent. Using \(\cap_sW^s=C^\infty\), this family also yields linearly independent cohomology classes in \(H^1(\Gamma,C^\infty(TM))\). Hence the \(\Gamma\)-action on \(M\) is not infinitesimally rigid.