scientific article; zbMATH DE number 1069222

This paper studies in detail the curvature tensor of a Riemannian symmetric space \(G/K\) of noncompact type separately in the following cases: (1) the Lie algebra \({\mathfrak k}\) of \(K\) is simple, (2) the derived ideal of \({\mathfrak k}\) is simple and its center \({\mathfrak z}\) is 1-dimensional, \({\mathfrak k}= {\mathfrak z}+[{\mathfrak k}, {\mathfrak k}]\), (3) \(G/K= SO(p,q)/SO(p) SO(q)\), (4) \(G/K= SU(p,q)/S(U(p) \times U(q))\), (5) \(G/K =Sp(p,q)/Sp(p) \times Sp(q)\), (6) \(G/K\) is the Cayley plane, (7) \({\mathfrak k}\) is the sum of two simple ideals \({\mathfrak k} ={\mathfrak k}_1 \oplus {\mathfrak k}_2\) with \({\mathfrak k}_1 =su (2)\), i.e., the exceptional symmetric spaces of Wolf's type. Using these results, the authors establish an analogue of \textit{Y. Matsushima}'s formula for harmonic maps [Ann. Math., II. Ser. 75, 312-330 (1962; Zbl 0118.38303)]. From this formula it follows that: if \(\Gamma\) is a discrete cocompact subgroup of \(G\) and \(N\) is a Riemannian manifold with nonpositive curvature operator and isometry group \(I(N)\), and there exists a homomorphism \(\rho: \Gamma \to I(N)\), then any \(\rho\)-equivariant harmonic map \(f:G/K\to N\) is totally geodesic. Assume further that \(\rho (\Gamma)\) does not have a fixed point on the sphere at infinity of \(N\) or, if it does, it centralizes a totally geodesic flat subspace. Then the authors deduce from above property of \(\rho\)-equivariant harmonic maps that for \(G/K\) a symmetric space of noncompact type other then the real and complex hyperbolic spaces, there exists a totally geodesic \(\rho\)-equivariant map \(f:G/K \to N\). This is a geometric generalization of Margulis' superrigidity theorem. For the entire collection see [Zbl 0870.00033].

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