Fixed point theorem for reflexive Banach spaces and uniformly convex non positively curved metric spaces. (Q484337)

Żuk's spectral criterion for property (T) [\textit{A. Żuk}, C. R. Acad. Sci., Paris, Sér. I 323, No. 5, 453-458 (1996; Zbl 0858.22007); \textit{W. Ballmann} and \textit{J. Świątkowski}, Geom. Funct. Anal. 7, No. 4, 615-645 (1997; Zbl 0897.22007)] can be stated as follows. Let \(G\) be a group acting simplicially, properly, and cocompactly on a 2-dimensional simplicial complex \(X\) with connected links. If the positive eigenvalues of the Laplacians of vertex links in \(X\) are all greater than \(1/2\), then every affine isometric action of \(G\) on a Hilbert space \(\mathcal H\) has a fixed point. The article extends this result to isometric actions on two much wider classes of metric spaces (at the cost of adjusting the constant \(1/2\)), i.e. reflexive Banach spaces, and uniquely geodesic, uniformly convex, complete metric spaces satisfying Busemann's condition of non-positive curvature, stating that in any geodesic triangle the distance between the midpoints of any two sides does not exceed one half of the length of the third side. This yields a common generalization of a number of more specific criteria found in the literature (Corollary 4).