Simplicial volume of \(\mathbb Q\)-rank one locally symmetric spaces covered by the product of \(\mathbb R\)-rank one symmetric spaces (Q441062)

This paper is concerned with the simplicial volume of open manifolds, that is the \(l^1\)-norm of the fundamental class in locally finite homology. It is known that the simplicial volume of closed locally symmetric spaces is always positive. This was proved by \textit{J.-F.\ Lafont} and \textit{B.\ Schmidt} [Acta Math.\ 197, No.\ 1, 129--143 (2006; Zbl 1111.57020)] by a certain straightening procedure which works when the universal cover has no factor isometric to SL(3,\({\mathbb R}\))/SO(3) or SL(2,\({\mathbb R}\))/SO(2). The case of SL(3,\({\mathbb R}\))/SO(3)-factors was solved by \textit{M.\ Bucher-Karlsson} [Geom.\ Dedicata 125, 203--224 (2007; Zbl 1124.53025)] building on work of \textit{R.\ P.\ Savage} [Trans.\ Am.\ Math. Soc. 274, 239--263 (1982; Zbl 0498.53037)], and the case of SL(2,\({\mathbb R}\))/SO(2)-factors is elementary. The \(\mathbb Q\)-rank of locally symmetric spaces has an algebraic definition but its geometric meaning is that it is the smallest natural number \(r\), for which there exists a collection of finitely many closed, \(r\)-dimensional flats, such that all of the locally symmetric space is within a bounded distance of the union of these flats. In particular, a locally symmetric space has \(\mathbb Q\)-rank 0 if and only if it is closed. Thus, local symmetric spaces of \(\mathbb Q\)-rank 0 have positive simplicial volume. On the other hand, \textit{C.\ Löh} and \textit{R.\ Sauer} [J. Topol. 2, No. 1, 193--225 (2009; Zbl 1187.53043)] proved that the simplicial volume is trivial for locally symmetric spaces of \(\mathbb Q\)-rank \(\geq 3\). It seems natural to conjecture that the simplicial volume is positive for locally symmetric spaces of \(\mathbb Q\)-rank \(\leq 1\) and trivial for locally symmetric spaces of \(\mathbb Q\)-rank \(\geq 2\). In [Comment. Math. Helv. 84, No. 3, 457--470 (2009; Zbl 1180.53046)] \textit{C.\ Löh} and \textit{R.\ Sauer} confirmed the positivity of simplicial volume for Hilbert modular surfaces, certain arithmetically defined quotients of \(H^2\times H^2\). In the paper under review the authors consider \(\mathbb Q\)-rank 1 spaces which are covered by the product of \({\mathbb R}\)-rank 1 spaces, and they prove that in this case the simplicial volume is always positive. Using \textit{E.\ Leuzinger}'s explicit geometric description of \(\mathbb Q\)-rank 1 spaces from [Invent. Math. 121, No. 2, 389--410 (1995; Zbl 0844.53040)] they show that the geodesic straightening maps locally finite chains to locally chains. When the space is covered by a product of \({\mathbb R}\)-rank 1 spaces, then there is a uniform bound on the volume of geodesic simplices, which then allows to prove the positivity of the simplicial volume.