Harmonic measures and Bowen-Margulis measures (Q804966)

Let M be a compact Riemannian manifold of negative curvature. For every x in the universal covering \(\tilde M\) there are two natural finite Borel measures on the absolute M(\(\infty)\) of M: The hitting probability \(\mu_ x\) of Brownian motion emanating from x and the spherical projection \(\nu_ x\) of the conditionals of the Bowen Margulis measure on unstable manifolds. The measure class of \(\mu_ x\) and \(\nu_ x\) is independent of \(x\in \tilde M\), but \(\mu_ x\) and \(\nu_ x\) may be singular. It is shown that the following are equivalent: 1. The mean curvature of the horosphere in \(\tilde M\) is constant. 2. \(\mu_ x=\nu_ x\) for all \(x\in \tilde M\). 3. The bottom \(\lambda_ 1\) of the \(L^ 2\)-spectrum of the Laplacian on \(\tilde M\) equals \(\beta\) /4 where \(\beta\) is the Kaimanovich entropy of M, the probabilistic entropy of Brownian motion on \(\tilde M.\) Moreover the inequality \(\lambda_ 1\leq \beta /4\leq h^ 2/4\) always holds, where h is the topological entropy of the geodesic flow on the unit tangent bundle of M. If dim M\(=2\) then M has constant curvature if and only if the measures \(\mu_ x\), \(\nu_ x\) are equivalent, i.e. if they define the same measure class for any \(x\in M\).