Pathways Workshop: Topological and Geometric Structures in Low Dimensions & Geometry and Dynamics for Discrete Subgroups of Higher Rank Lie Groups: Proper affine deformations of positive representations
Presenter
January 21, 2026
Keywords:
- low-dimensional topology
- geometric structures
- homogeneous dynamics
- Anosov representations
- Higher rank Lie groups
- symmetric spaces of non- compact type
MSC:
- 57M50 - General geometric structures on low-dimensional manifolds
- 57M60 - Group actions on manifolds and cell complexes in low dimensions
- 57N16 - Geometric structures on manifolds of high or arbitrary dimension
- 57S25 - Groups acting on specific manifolds
- 22E40 - Discrete subgroups of Lie groups
- 22F30 - Homogeneous spaces
- 37E05 - Dynamical systems involving maps of the interval
- 37E10 - Dynamical systems involving maps of the circle
- 37E30 - Dynamical systems involving homeomorphisms and diffeomorphisms of planes and surfaces
- 37E35 - Flows on surfaces
- 30F60 - Teichmüller theory for Riemann surfaces
- 32G15 - Moduli of Riemann surfaces
- Teichmüller theory (complex-analytic aspects in several variables)]
- 30F40 - Kleinian groups (aspects of compact Riemann surfaces and uniformization)
Abstract
Bieberbach's theorem states that a compact Euclidean manifold is virtually a torus. What happens if we relax the setting and ask which kinds of manifolds can arise as quotients of affine space by affine group actions? Margulis first found free groups acting affinely with manifold quotient on R^3, and the picture in three dimensions is now well-understood (a satisfying picture is given by Danciger-Guéritaud-Kassel), but remains more elusive in higher dimensions. We will discuss a small piece of the puzzle: given a positive representation of a free group in SO(2n,2n-1), we construct a large set of cocycles twisted by the representation that determine proper actions of the free group by affine transformations on R^(4n-1). We also describe fundamental domains for these actions, bounded by higher-dimensional versions of Drumm's crooked planes. This is joint work with Jean-Philippe Burelle.