Arithmetic quotients of the complex ball and a conjecture of Lang (Q273547)

A complex projective variety \(X\) is \textit{Mordellic} if \(X(k)\) is finite for every finitely generated field \(k\) over which \(X\) is defined. A conjecture of \textit{S. Lang} [Number theory III: Diophantine geometry. Berlin etc.: Springer-Verlag (1991; Zbl 0744.14012)] says that \(X\) is Mordellic if and only if \(X(\mathbb C)\) is hyperbolic. If \(X\) is defined over a number field \(k\), then \(X\) is \textit{arithmetically Mordellic} if \(X(K)\) is finite for every finite extension \(K\) of \(k\). A conjecture of \textit{E. Ullmo} [Int. Math. Res. Not. 2004, No. 76, 4109--4125 (2004; Zbl 1077.14031)] implies that if \(X\) is arithmetically Mordellic then \(X\) is Mordellic. Consistent with the conjectures stated above the authors show in this paper that various arithmetic quotients of the unit ball in \(\mathbb C^n\) are Mordellic. The spirit of the paper is well captured by their remark: ``If there is anything new in our approach, it lies in the systematic use of the modern theory of automorphic representations in Diophantine geometry.''