Reflection groups in non-negative curvature (Q267533)

A discrete subgroup \(W\) of the isometry group of a Riemannian manifold \(M\) is called a reflection group if it is generated by reflections, i.e., by involutions which fix some codimension-one submanifolds, the so-called mirrors. It is called a Coxeter group if every mirror separates \(M\) into two components. A chamber of the action of \(W\) on \(M\) is the closure of a connected component of the complement of the union of all mirrors. In the paper under review, structure results for the case when \(M\) has non-negative sectional curvature are proved. The main result is as follows: Let \(M\) be a complete non-negatively curved manifold with co-compact reflection group \(W\). Then \(W\) lifts to a reflection group \(\hat{W}\) on the universal cover \(\tilde{M}\) of \(M\). \(\hat{W}\) is a product of Coxeter groups \[ \hat{W}=\hat{W}_0\times \prod_{i=1}^{l-1} \hat{W}_i \times \hat{W}_l, \] where \(\hat{W}_0\) is affine and the other \(\hat{W}_i\) are spherical. Correspondingly, \(\hat{M}\) admits a \(\hat{W}\)-invariant metric splitting \[ \tilde{M}=\mathbb R^k\times \prod_{i=1}^{l-1} S^{k_i}\times \Theta_l\times N, \] where \(N\) can be any simply connected compact manifold of non-negative curvature on which all \(\hat{W}_i\) act trivially, \(S^{k_i}\) is a non-negatively curved standard sphere with linear \(\hat{W}_i\)-action, and \(\Theta_l\) is a compact simply connected non-negatively curved (iterated) open book. On the one hand this result is interesting on its own. On the other hand, understanding reflection groups on non-negatively curved manifolds is the first step to understand so-called polar actions on such manifolds. This is because the section of such an action is a non-negatively curved manifold with a reflection group. The proof of the above result is based on the work of \textit{A. Wörner} [Geom. Topol. 16, No. 4, 2391--2426 (2012; Zbl 1261.53044)] which implies that the chamber of a Coxeter action is a product \[ C=C_0\times C_1\times\dots\times C_l, \] where \(C_0\) is a manifold without boundary and each \(C_i\), \(i\geq 1\), is a non-negatively curved convex manifold with corners such that either {\parindent=0.6cm\begin{itemize}\item[--] \(C_i\) has more than \(n_i=\dim C_i\) faces but any \(n_i\) faces meet, or \item[--] \(C_i\) has \(k_i\leq n_i\) faces and they all meet. \end{itemize}} In the first case \(C_i\) is a simplex. The rest of the proof is divided into two steps: {\parindent=0.6cm\begin{itemize}\item[--] Describing those Coxeter manifolds for which there is only one factor \(C_i\) in the above decomposition. This leads to the different types of factors in the main result. \item[--] Showing that a simply connected Coxeter manifold splits as stated above if there are more than one factors in the decomposition of the chamber. \end{itemize}}