Hyperbolic convexes and quasiisometries. (Q881914)

For \(m\geq 2\), an open subset \(\Omega\) of the \(m\)-sphere \(\mathbb{S}^m\) is said to be `convex' if its intersection with every great circle of \(\mathbb{S}^m\) is connected. The subset \(\Omega\) is said to be `properly convex' if, furthermore, there exists a projective hypersphere of \(\mathbb{S}^m\) which is disjoint from the closure \(\overline\Omega\) of \(\Omega\). A properly convex set \(\Omega\) in the projective space \(\mathbb{P}^m\) is said to be `divisible' if there exists a discrete torsion free group \(\Gamma\) of projective transformations of \(\mathbb{P}^m\) preserving \(\Omega\) such that the quotient \(\Gamma/\Omega\) is compact. In this paper, the author constructs, for any \(m\geq 3\), properly convex open divisible subsets \(\Omega\) in \(\mathbb{P}^m\) whose Hilbert metrics are Gromov hyperbolic, but which are not quasiisometric to hyperbolic space \(\mathbb{H}^m\). He also proves that there are no such examples (even without the divisibility property) for \(m=2\). The open subsets \(\Omega\) that are produced are also strictly convex, and the group \(\Gamma\) that acts on \(\Omega\) with cocompact quotient is not isomorphic to any cocompact lattice in the isometry group of \(\mathbb{H}^n\). The paper is a sequel to the paper [Publ. Math., Inst. Hautes Étud. Sci. 97, 181-237 (2003; Zbl 1049.53027)] by the same author, in which he gives a characterization of the open properly convex subsets of \(\mathbb{P}^m\) whose Hilbert metric is Gromov hyperbolic. The construction of the examples uses a construction by Tits and Vinberg of Coxeter groups which divide properly convex subsets of \(\mathbb{P}^m\). It also uses a criterion of Moussong for the Gromov hyperbolicity of Coxeter groups. The work also uses the relation between quasiisometries of Gromov hyperbolic spaces and quasisymmetric maps between their boundaries.