Showing papers in "Publications Mathématiques de l'IHÉS in 2006"

Moduli spaces of local systems and higher Teichmüller theory

Abstract: Let G be a split semisimple algebraic group over Q with trivial center. Let S be a compact oriented surface, with or without boundary. We define positive representations of the fundamental group of S to G(R), construct explicitly all positive representations, and prove that they are faithful, discrete, and positive hyperbolic; the moduli space of positive representations is a topologically trivial open domain in the space of all representations. When S have holes, we defined two moduli spaces closely related to the moduli spaces of G-local systems on S. We show that they carry a lot of interesting structures. In particular we define a distinguished collection of coordinate systems, equivariant under the action of the mapping class group of S. We prove that their transition functions are subtraction free. Thus we have positive structures on these moduli spaces. Therefore we can take their points with values in any positive semifield. Their positive real points provide the two higher Teichmuller spaces related to G and S, while the points with values in the tropical semifields provide the lamination spaces. We define the motivic avatar of the Weil–Petersson form for one of these spaces. It is related to the motivic dilogarithm.

Exponential mixing for the Teichmüller flow

Abstract: We study the dynamics of the Teichmuller flow in the moduli space of Abelian differentials (and more generally, its restriction to any connected component of a stratum). We show that the (Masur-Veech) absolutely continuous invariant probability measure is exponentially mixing for the class of Holder observables. A geometric consequence is that the SL(2, R) action in the moduli space has a spectral gap.

Simplicial nonpositive curvature

Abstract: We introduce a family of conditions on a simplicial complex that we call local k-largeness (k≥6 is an integer). They are simply stated, combinatorial and easily checkable. One of our themes is that local 6-largeness is a good analogue of the non-positive curvature: locally 6-large spaces have many properties similar to non-positively curved ones. However, local 6-largeness neither implies nor is implied by non-positive curvature of the standard metric. One can think of these results as a higher dimensional version of small cancellation theory. On the other hand, we show that k-largeness implies non-positive curvature if k is sufficiently large. We also show that locally k-large spaces exist in every dimension. We use this to answer questions raised by D. Burago, M. Gromov and I. Leary.

Periodic orbits and chain-transitive sets of C1-diffeomorphisms

Abstract: We prove that the chain-transitive sets of C1-generic diffeomorphisms are approximated in the Hausdorff topology by periodic orbits. This implies that the homoclinic classes are dense among the chain-recurrence classes. This result is a consequence of a global connecting lemma, which allows to build by a C1-perturbation an orbit connecting several prescribed points. One deduces a weak shadowing property satisfied by C1-generic diffeomorphisms: any pseudo-orbit is approximated in the Hausdorff topology by a finite segment of a genuine orbit. As a consequence, we obtain a criterion for proving the tolerance stability conjecture in Diff1(M).

Cochains and homotopy type

Abstract: Finite type nilpotent spaces are weakly equivalent if and only if their singular cochains are quasi-isomorphic as E∞ algebras. The cochain functor from the homotopy category of finite type nilpotent spaces to the homotopy category of E∞ algebras is faithful but not full.

Automorphism groups of polycyclic-by-finite groups and arithmetic groups

Abstract: We show that the outer automorphism group of a polycyclic-by-finite group is an arithmetic group. This result follows from a detailed structural analysis of the automorphism groups of such groups. We use an extended version of the theory of the algebraic hull functor initiated by Mostow. We thus make applicable refined methods from the theory of algebraic and arithmetic groups. We also construct examples of polycyclic-by-finite groups which have an automorphism group which does not contain an arithmetic group of finite index. Finally we discuss applications of our results to the groups of homotopy self-equivalences of K(Γ,1)-spaces and obtain an extension of arithmeticity results of Sullivan in rational homotopy theory.