Constructing thin subgroups of SL(n + 1, R) via bending

DOI10.2140/AGT.2020.20.2071MaRDI QIDQ784259zbMATH OpenOpenAlexFDO

Authors Samuel A. Ballas, D. D. Long

Publication date 3 August 2020

Published in Algebraic \& Geometric Topology (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/1809.02689

zbMATH Keywords

arithmetic groupsbendingprojective structuresthin groups

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Discrete subgroups of Lie groups (22E40) General geometric structures on low-dimensional manifolds (57M50)

Abstract: In this paper we use techniques from convex projective geometry to produce many new examples of thin subgroups of lattices in special linear groups that are isomorphic to the fundamental groups of finite volume hyperbolic manifolds. More specifically, we show that for a large class of arithmetic lattices in SO(n,1) it is possible to find infinitely many non-commensurable lattices in SL(n+1,R) that contain a thin subgroup isomorphic to a finite index subgroup of the original arithmetic lattice. This class of arithmetic lattices includes all non-cocompact arithmetic lattices and all cocompact arithmetic lattices when $n$ is even.

Review text

This paper constructs infinitely many examples of thin subgroups of lattices in special linear groups that are isomorphic to the fundamental groups of finite-volume hyperbolic manifolds. This is interesting, as many known constructions of thin subgroups result in thin groups that are either virtually free or isomorphic to fundamental groups of surfaces. The interest in thin subgroups is motivated in part due to their connection with expander graphs and affine sieving techniques that arises from work of \textit{J. Bourgain} et al. [Invent. Math. 179, No. 3, 559--644 (2010; Zbl 1239.11103)] and \textit{J. Bourgain} [Math. Sci. Res. Inst. Publ. 61, 1--22 (2014; Zbl 1370.11082)]. Let \(G\) be a semi-simple Lie group and \(\Gamma \le G\) be a lattice. Then a subgroup \(\Delta \le \Gamma\) is thin if it has infinite index in \(\Gamma\) and is Zariski dense in \(G\). If one omits the hypothesis on infinite index, then \(\Delta\) will itself be a lattice and hence Zariski dense by the Borel density theorem. As the title suggests, the strategy in the construction is to bend a hyperbolic manifold along an embedded, totally geodesic submanifold such that one obtains properly convex real projective manifolds diffeomorphic to the initial manifold. The proof that the subgroups of the special linear groups thus obtained are Zariski dense then hinges on work by \textit{Y. Benoist} [in: Algebraic groups and arithmetic. Proceedings of the international conference, Mumbai, India, December 17--22, 2001. New Delhi: Narosa Publishing House/Published for the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research. 339--374 (2004; Zbl 1084.37026); Invent. Math. 141, No. 1, 149--193 (2000; Zbl 0957.22008)]. The authors show that this strategy can be applied if the fundamental group of the hyperbolic manifold is an arithmetic lattice in \(SO(n,1)\) that is of orthogonal type. For instance, every non-cocompact arithmetic lattice in \(SO(n,1)\) is of orthogonal type. In conclusion, this paper gives a very attractive application of techniques from convex projective geometry and arithmetic groups to the study of lattices in special linear groups.

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Cited in

(6)

• Thin subgroups isomorphic to Gromov-Piatetski-Shapiro lattices
• Constructing thin groups
• Discrete subgroups of the special linear group with thin limit sets
• Constructing thin subgroups in \(\mathrm{SL}(4,\mathrm R)\)
• Thin right‐angled Coxeter groups in some uniform arithmetic lattices
• Zariski dense surface groups in \(\operatorname{SL}(2k + 1, \mathbb{Z})\)

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