Character rigidity of simple algebraic groups

Abstract: We prove the following extension of Tits' simplicity theorem. Let

k

be an infinite field,

G

an algebraic group defined and quasi-simple over

k,

and

G (k)

the group of

k

-rational points of

G .

Let

G (k)^{+}

be the subgroup of

G (k)

generated by the unipotent radicals of parabolic subgroups of

G

defined over

k

and

P G (k)^{+}

the quotient of

G (k)^{+}

by its center. Then every normalized function of positive type on

P G (k)^{+}

which is constant on conjugacy classes is a convex combination of

1_{P G (k)^{+}}

and

d e l t a_{e} .

As corollary, we obtain that the only ergodic invariant random subgroups (IRS) of

P G (k)^{+}

are

d e l t a_{P G (k)^{+}}

and

d e l t a_{e},

when

k

is countable. A further consequence is that, when

k

is a global field and

G

is

k

-isotropic and has trivial center, every measure preserving ergodic action of

G (k)

on a probability space either factorizes through the abelianization of

G (k)

or is essentially free.

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