Banach property (T) for \(\mathrm{SL}_n (\mathbb{Z})\) and its applications (Q6095147)

Property (T) for groups, introduced in 1967 by Kazhdan, has been found to have important connections with several diverse areas of mathematics (e.g. representation theory, operator algebras, ergodic theory, algebraic groups). Relevant to the paper under review, we may mention an explicit construction of expanders by Margulis and a fixed point result for affine isomeric actions on real Hilbert spaces. The present paper is an important contribution to the study of a Banach version of property (T), studied by Bader et al. and Vincent Lafforgue. Lafforgue showed that \(SL_3(F)\) has a strong form of Banach property (T) with respect to all super-reflexive Banach spaces (as conjectured by Bader et al.) for any non-archimedian local field \(F\) and used it to construct graphs that are expanders with respect to every super-reflexive Banach space (`super-expanders'). For real algebraic groups, much less is known about Banach property (T). Bader et al. proved this property for \(L^p\)-spaces for higher rank groups. Only partial results are known for general super-reflexive Banach spaces. In the paper under review, the author obtains a breakthrough result: \textit{Banach property (T) holds for a large class of connected simple real Lie groups with respect to all super-reflexive Banach spaces.} The method of proof is interesting and is worth indicating. Banach property (T) for \(SL_3(\mathbb Z)\) for all super-reflexive spaces is deduced, by a bounded generation argument, from a relative version of Banach property (T) for the uni-triangular matrices in \(SL_3(\mathbb Z)\), which itself is proved by a novel method. Banach property (T) for any simple Lie group whose Lie algebra contains \(\mathfrak{sl}_3(\mathbb R)\) is then deduced invoking Howe-Moore theorem. The main result of the paper have some impressive consequences too. One of them is that the Margulis expanders are super-expanders; this settles a long-standing open problem. Using known constructions of super-expanders using warped cones arising from actions of groups with Banach property (T) on a compact Riemannian manifold, this yields constructions of super-expanders from certain \(SL_n(\mathbb Z)\) (\(n\geq 3\)) actions on such manifolds. Here is another striking consequence: a family of connected simple Lie groups (including \(SL_n(\mathbb R), n>3)\) and their lattices have the fixed point property with respect to all super-reflexive Banach spaces. Finally, it is proved that, for \(n\geq 5\), the groups \(SL_n(\mathbb R)\) and \(SL_n(\mathbb Z)\) have a strong fixed point property (introduced by Mimura) with respect to all super-reflexive Banach spaces.