A splitting theorem for spaces of nonpositive curvature (Q796125)

Let \(\Gamma\) be a group of isometries acting on a simply connected complete Riemannian manifold X of nonpositive sectional curvature. If \(\Gamma\) is a product \(\Gamma =\Gamma_ 1\times \Gamma_ 2\), then one of the following holds: a) There is a point z in the ideal boundary \(X(\infty)\), such that all \(\gamma \in \Gamma\) leave z invariant. b) There is a closed convex \(\Gamma\)-invariant subset \(M\subset X\) such that M splits isometrically as \(M=M_ 1\times M_ 2\). The group respects the splitting, i.e. every \(\gamma \in \Gamma\) operates as \(\gamma =(\gamma_ 1,\gamma_ 2)\) where \(\gamma_ i\) is an isometry on \(M_ i\). Every \(\alpha \in \Gamma_ 1\) splits as \((\alpha_ 1,id)\) and every \(\beta \in \Gamma_ 2\) operates as \((id,\beta_ 2)\). Here id denotes the identity. As a corollary the splitting theorem of Gromoll-Wolf and Lawson-Yau is generalized for manifolds of finite volume.