Molino theory for matchbox manifolds

Limits, profinite groups (20E18) Dynamical systems involving transformations and group actions with special properties (minimality, distality, proximality, expansivity, etc.) (37B05) Continua theory in dynamics (37B45) Foliations in differential topology; geometric theory (57R30) Pseudogroups and differentiable groupoids (58H05)

Abstract: A matchbox manifold is a foliated space with totally disconnected transversals, and an equicontinuous matchbox manifold is the generalization of Riemannian foliations for smooth manifolds in this context. In this paper, we develop the Molino theory for all equicontinuous matchbox manifolds. Our work extends the Molino theory developed in the work of 'Alvarez L'opez and Moreira Galicia which required the hypothesis that the holonomy actions for these spaces satisfy the strong quasi-analyticity condition. The methods of this paper are based on the authors' previous works on the structure of weak solenoids, and provide many new properties of the Molino theory for the case of totally disconnected transversals, and examples to illustrate these properties. In particular, we show that the Molino space need not be uniquely well-defined, unless the global holonomy dynamical system is tame, a notion defined in this work. We show that examples in the literature for the theory of weak solenoids provide examples for which the strong quasi-analytic condition fails. Of particular interest is a new class of examples of equicontinuous minimal Cantor actions by finitely generated groups, whose construction relies on a result of Lubotzky. These examples have non-trivial Molino sequences, and other interesting properties.

Review text

A foliation is Riemannian when its holonomy pseudogroup consists of local isometries for some Riemannian metric on local transversals (``transverse rigidity). These foliations were described by P.~Molino in terms of the more special class of transversely parallelizable (TP) foliations, where the holonomy transformations preserve a parallelism on local transversals. Many properties of Riemannian foliations were derived from this description. The submitted paper gives a version of the Molino's description for the case of an equicontinuous matchbox manifold \(\mathfrak M\). It is based on a previous result by A. Clark and S.~Hurder, stating that any such \(\mathfrak M\) is a weak solenoid \({\mathcal S}_{\mathcal P}\), defined as an inverse limit of a sequence of non-trivial covering maps between compact manifolds, \({\mathcal P}=\{\,p_{\ell+1}:M_{\ell+1}\to M_\ell\mid\ell\ge0\,\}\). Moreover \({\mathcal S}_{\mathcal P}\) is homogeneous if and only if \({\mathcal P}\) can be chosen to consist of regular coverings. The fundamental groups of the manifolds in \(\mathcal P\) define a chain of subgroups of finite index, \({\mathcal G}=\{G_0\supset G_1\supset\cdots\}\). Then the authors consider an associated chain of subgroups, \(C_0\supset C_1\supset\cdots\), where every \(C_\ell\) is the maximal normal subgroup of \(G_0\) contained in \(G_\ell\) (the core subgroup). This corresponds to a sequence of regular covering maps between compact manifolds, \(\widehat{\mathcal P}=\{\,\hat p_{\ell+1}:\widehat M_{\ell+1}\to\widehat M_\ell\mid\ell\ge0\,\}\), defining a homogeneous solenoid \(\widehat{\mathfrak M}={\mathcal S}_{\widehat{\mathcal P}}\). The canonical projections \(\widehat M_\ell\to M_\ell\) induce a foliated map \(\hat q:\widehat{\mathfrak M}\to\mathfrak M\). On the other hand, the quotient groups \(D_\ell=C_0/C_\ell\) form an induced sequence of surjective homomorphisms, \(\cdots\to D_2\to D_1\to D_0=\{e\}\), whose inverse limit \(\mathcal D\), the discriminant group, was previously studied by the authors. By identifying every quotient group \(C_0/C_\ell\) with the group of deck transformations of the regular covering \(\widehat M_\ell\to\widehat M_0=M_0\), they get an induced action of \(\mathcal D\) on \(\widehat{\mathfrak M}\) so that \(\widehat{\mathfrak M}/\mathcal D\equiv\mathfrak M\) via \(\hat q\). This defines the Molino sequence \({\mathcal D}\to\widehat{\mathfrak M}\overset{\hat q}{\to}{\mathfrak M}\). This sequence is unique if \({\mathfrak M}\) satisfies a certain strong quasianalyticity condition (SQA). Then the authors are led to studying the stability of \(\mathcal D\) and \(\widehat{\mathfrak M}\), introducing the concept of tame matchbox manifolds, and proving the following additional results. \(\mathfrak M\) is tame if \(\mathcal D\) is finite. \(\mathfrak M\) is SQA if the fundamental groups of all leaves are finitely generated. The closure of the holonomy pseudogroup is SQA if moreover \(\mathcal D\) is finite. The Molino sequence is non-trivial if the holonomy group of some leaf is non-trivial. The Schori solenoid is not SQA. Finally, the authors prove nice theorems about the realization of Cantor groups as discriminant groups of equicontinuous matchbox manifolds, using deep results of Lubotzky.

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