Contracting automorphisms and L^p-cohomology in degree one

DOI10.1007/S11512-010-0127-ZMaRDI QIDQ691155zbMATH OpenOpenAlexFDO

Publication date 29 November 2012

Published in Arkiv för Matematik (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/0908.2603

algebraic group contracting automorphism Heintze-type rank-one-type real Lie group

General properties and structure of locally compact groups (22D05) Unitary representations of locally compact groups (22D10) General properties and structure of real Lie groups (22E15) Representations of Lie and linear algebraic groups over local fields (22E50) (L^p)-spaces and other function spaces on groups, semigroups, etc. (43A15)

Abstract: We characterize those Lie groups, and algebraic groups over a local field of characteristic zero, whose first reduced L^p-cohomology is zero for all p>1, extending a result of Pansu. As an application, we obtain a description of Gromov-hyperbolic groups among those groups. In particular we prove that any non-elementary Gromov-hyperbolic algebraic group over a non-Archimedean local field of zero characteristic is quasi-isometric to a 3-regular tree. We also extend the study to semidirect products of a general locally compact group by a cyclic group acting by contracting automorphisms.

Review text

Let \(G\) denote a locally compact group and let \(L^p = L^p(G,m_G)\), \(m_G\) denoting the left Haar measure. For \(p\geq 1\), let \(D_p =D_p(G)\) denote the space of Dirichlet functions \[ \left\{ f: \text{s.t.}\;G\ni g\mapsto f-f(\cdot g)\in L^p \text{ is continuous}\right\}. \] \(\rho_G^p\), defined by \(\rho_G^p(g): L^p\ni f\mapsto f(\cdot g)\in L^p\), denotes the regular representation of \(G\) on \(L^p\). \(D_p\) is endowed with a suitable locally convex topology, and it is known (cf. the second author [Ann. Inst. Fourier 59, No. 2, 851--876 (2009; Zbl 1225.22019)]) that \(D_p/\mathbb{R}\cong Z^1(G,\rho_G^p)\), the space of 1-cocycles. Define \(H_p^1(G):=D_p(G)/(L^p+\mathbb{R}) \cong H^1(G,\rho_G^p)\) and \(\overline{H}_p^1(G):= D_p(G)/\overline{(L^p+\mathbb{R})} \cong \overline{H}^1(G,\rho_G^p)\). In the following, throughout \(G\) is a (real) Lie group or a linear group over a non-Archimedean local field of characteristic 0. A Lie group with finite quotient \(G/G_0\) is called `Heintze type' if \(G=S\ltimes N\), for a simply connected nilpotent Lie group \(N\) and \(S\supseteq \mathbb{Z}\) (as co-compact subgroup) contracting \(N\). A group of ``non-Archimedean Heintze type is defined analogously, \(G=S\ltimes N\) where now \(N\) is totally disconnected locally compact and nilpotent. \(\mathbb{Z}\) acts (by automorphisms) contracting on a locally compact group \(H\) if there exists a compact set \(U\) such that for all compact \(M\subseteq G\) we have \(k\cdot M\subseteq U\) for all large \(k\). \(G\) is of rank-one type (real or non-Archimedean) if there exists a compact normal subgroup \(W\) such that a subgroup of \(G/W\) of finite index is isomorphic to the quotient of a simple group of rank 1 over its centre. The main result (Theorem 1) complements results obtained by the second author in the above mentioned paper and in [``Isoperimetric profile of subgroups and probability of return of random walks on elementary solvable groups. Preprint (2009)]: If \(G\) is a connected real Lie group or a linear algebraic group (over a non-Archimedean local field of characteristic 0) then (1) if \(G\) is amenable and unimodular, then \(\overline{H}^1_p(G)=0\) \((\forall p>1)\); (2) if \(G\) is of Heintze type or rank one type then \(\overline{H}_p^1 \neq 0\) for large \(p\); (3) otherwise \(\overline{H}_p^1(G) = 0\) for all \(p\geq 1\). The authors deduce several corollaries which characterize case (2), e.g. by \(G\) being a ``Gromov hyperbolic metric space (cf. [\textit{M. Gromov}, ``Hyperbolic groups, in: Essays in group theory, Publ., Math. Sci. Res. Inst. 8, 75--263 (1987; Zbl 0634.20015); Geometric group theory. Volume 2. Asymptotic invariants of infinite groups. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press (1993; Zbl 0841.20039)]; \textit{E. Heintze}, Math. Ann. 211, 23--34 (1974; Zbl 0273.53042)]). The proof of case (3) is contained in Section 2, providing a series of results concerning the structure of the afore-defined classes of groups, in particular of Heintze type groups. In Section 3, the proof of Theorem 1 is completed, relying on investigations of contracting actions on locally compact groups. The afore-mentioned corollaries are proved in Section 4. In an appendix, the authors obtain a generalization of \textit{E. Siebert}'s splitting theorem for (strictly) contractible groups [Math. Z. 191, 73--90 (1986; Zbl 0562.22002)]. The authors' definition of contractive actions differs slightly from Siebert's. However, for locally compact groups, it is easily verified that this definition coincides with contraction mod a compact subgroup \(H\). The action is strictly contractive if \(H=\{7e\}\). Reviewer's remark: For a reader interested in contractible groups it should be mentioned that there exists a considerably rich literature in connection with (semi)-stability and decomposability of probabilities and with the concentration function problem, e.g., the monograph by \textit{E. Siebert} and the reviewer [Stable probability measures on euclidean spaces and on locally compact groups. Structural properties and limit theorems. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers (2001; Zbl 1002.60002)]. See in particular \S{} 3.1--3.5, and 3.8 and the references mentioned there; or for more recent references, cf. [\textit{U. Baumgartner} and \textit{G. A. Willis}, Isr. J. Math. 142, 221--248 (2004; Zbl 1056.22001); \textit{H. Glöckner}, Glasg. Math. J. 47, No. 2, 329--333 (2005; Zbl 1076.22005); \textit{W. Jaworski}, Isr. J. Math. 172, 1--8 (2009; Zbl 1179.22004)].

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