Maximal surface group representations in isometry groups of classical Hermitian symmetric spaces (Q881920)

Let \(X\) be a closed oriented surface, \(G\) a connected semisimple Lie group and \[ {\mathcal R}(G):=\text{ Hom}^+(\pi_1(X),G)/G \] the moduli space of reductive homomorphisms from \(\pi_1(X)\) to \(G\) modulo conjugation. The geometry and topology of these spaces is still not fully understood especially when \(G\) is non-compact. In this paper, the authors consider the non-compact groups for which the homogeneous space \(G/H\), where \(H\) is a maximal compact subgroup, is a Hermitian symmetric space. For this, it suffices to consider the groups \(\text{ SU}(p,q)\), \(\text{ Sp}(2n, \mathbb{R})\), \(\text{ SO}^*(2n)\) and \(\text{ SO}_0(2,n)\). The most basic topological property of \({\mathcal R}(G)\) is the number of connected components. For any representation \(\rho\), one can define a topological invariant \(d\in\pi_1(G)\) which provides the obstruction to lifting \(\rho\) to a representation of \(\pi_1(X)\) in the universal cover of \(G\); we thus obtain a division of \({\mathcal R}(G)\) into disjoint closed subsets \({\mathcal R}_d(G)\). When \(G\) is either compact or a complex semisimple Lie group, it is known that all \({\mathcal R}_d(G)\) are non-empty and connected, but this is not necessarily so in other cases. When \(G/H\) as defined above is an irreducible Hermitian symmetric space, the torsion-free part of \(\pi_1(G)\) is isomorphic to \(\mathbb{Z}\) so (by slight abuse of language) we can regard the invariant \(d\) as an integer (called the Toledo invariant). It is known that \({\mathcal R}_d(G)\) is non-empty only if \(| d| \leq\text{ rk}(G/H)(g-1)\) (the Milnor-Wood inequality). The case where \(| d| \) takes its maximum value is of particular interest; the main object of this paper is to describe how the number of connected components of \({\mathcal R}_d(G)\) may be computed in this case. The computations involve the concept of a \(G\)-Higgs bundle and the identification of \({\mathcal R}_d(G)\) with a moduli space \({\mathcal M}_d(G)\) of polystable \(G\)-Higgs bundles. This is followed by the determination of the local minima of a certain Morse function on \({\mathcal M}_d(G)\) in order to count the components. The Morse-theoretic approach is due to \textit{N.~J.~Hitchin} [Proc. Lond. Math. Soc. (3) 55, 59--126 (1987; Zbl 0634.53045)], while the identification of \({\mathcal R}_d(G)\) with \({\mathcal M}_d(G)\) follows from a theorem of \textit{K.~Corlette} [J. Differ. Geom. 28, No. 3, 361--382 (1988; Zbl 0676.58007)] together with an adaptation of arguments of \textit{C.~T.~Simpson} [Inst. Hautes Études Sci. Publ. Math. 75, 5--95 (1992; Zbl 0814.32003)]. The results described here are due to \textit{W.~M.~Goldman} [Invent. Math. 93, No. 3, 557--607 (1988; Zbl 0655.57019)], \textit{N.~J.~Hitchin} [loc. cit.], \textit{E.~Z.~Xia} [Pac. J. Math. 195, No. 1, 231--256 (2000; Zbl 1014.32010); Geom. Dedicata 97, 33--43 (2003; Zbl 1050.14022)], \textit{E.~Markman} and \textit{E. Z. Xia} [Math. Z. 240, No. 1, 95--109 (2002; Zbl 1008.32006)] and joint work involving the authors and \textit{I.~Mundet i Riera} [Topology 40, No. 4, 823--850 (2001; Zbl 1066.14012); J. Differ. Geom. 64, No. 1, 111--170 (2003; Zbl 1070.53054); Topology 43, No. 4, 831--855 (2004; Zbl 1070.14014) and further work in preparation].