Related papers: Property FW, differentiable structures, and smooth…
Let $M$ be a manifold, $N$ a 1-dimensional manifold. Assuming $r \neq \dim(M)+1$, we show that any nontrivial homomorphism $\rho: \text{Diff}^r_c(M)\to \text{Homeo}(N)$ has a standard form: necessarily $M$ is $1$-dimensional, and there are…
Let $M$ be the circle or a compact interval, and let $\alpha=k+\tau\ge1$ be a real number such that $k=\lfloor \alpha\rfloor$. We write $\mathrm{Diff}_+^{\alpha}(M)$ for the group of $C^k$ diffeomorphisms of $M$ whose $k^{th}$ derivatives…
We prove that if a finite group $G$ has a representation with fixity $f$, then it acts freely and homologically trivially on a finite CW-complex homotopy equivalent to a product of $f+1$ spheres. This shows, in particular, that every finite…
We prove several cases of Zimmer's conjecture for actions of higher-rank cocompact lattices on low dimensional manifolds. For example, if $\Gamma$ is a cocompact lattice in $\mathrm{Sl}(n, \mathbb R)$, $M$ is a compact manifold, and…
In these lectures we consider how algebraic properties of discrete subgroups of Lie groups restrict the possible actions of those groups on surfaces. The results show a strong parallel between the possible actions of such a group on the…
Denote by $\DC(M)_0$ the identity component of the group of the compactly supported $C^r$ diffeomorphisms of a connected $C^\infty$ manifold $M$. We show that if $\dim(M)\geq2$ and $r\neq \dim(M)+1$, then any homomorphism from $\DC(M)_0$ to…
The group property FW stands in-between the celebrated Kazdhan's property (T) and Serre's property FA. Among many characterizations, it might be defined, for finitely generated groups, as having all Schreier graphs one-ended. It follows…
Let $M$ and $N$ be smooth manifolds, with $M$ closed and connected. If the $C^r$--diffeomorphism group of $M$ is elementarily equivalent to the $C^s$--diffeomorphism group of $N$ for some $r,s\in[1,\infty)\cup\{0,\infty\}$, then $r=s$ and…
We prove that if a countable discrete group $\Gamma$ is {\it w-rigid}, i.e. it contains an infinite normal subgroup $H$ with the relative property (T) (e.g. $\Gamma= SL(2,\Bbb Z) \ltimes \Bbb Z^2$, or $\Gamma = H \times H'$ with $H$ an…
Let $X$ be a compact Hausdorff space, let $\Gamma$ be a discrete group that acts continuously on $X$ from the right, define $\widetilde{X} = \{(x,\gamma) \in X \times \Gamma : x\cdot\gamma= x\}$, and let $\Gamma$ act on $\widetilde{X}$ via…
For any countable group $\Gamma$ satisfying the ``weak Rohlin property'', and for any dynamical property, the set of $\Gamma$-actions with that property is either residual or meager. The class of groups with the weak Rohlin property…
For groups of diffeomorphisms of $\T^2$ containing an Anosov diffeomorphism, we give a complete classification for polycyclic Abelian-by-Cyclic group actions on $\T^2$ up to both topological conjugacy and smooth conjugacy under mild…
We prove that a group acting geometrically on a thick affine building has property (T). A more general criterion for property (T) is given for groups acting on partite complexes.
We introduce computable actions of computable groups and prove the following versions of effective Birkhoff's ergodic theorem. Let $\Gamma$ be a computable amenable group, then there always exists a canonically computable tempered two-sided…
We survey the recent developments concerning fixed point properties for group actions on Banach spaces. In the setting of Hilbert spaces such fixed point properties correspond to Kazhdan's property (T). Here we focus on the general,…
We consider Abelian-by-cyclic groups for which the cyclic factor acts by hyperbolic automorphisms on the Abelian subgroup. We show that if such a group acts faithfully by $C^1$ diffeomorphisms of the closed interval with no global fixed…
For every $c\geq 1$, we define a strengthening of Kazhdan's Property (T) by considering uniformly bounded representations $\pi$ with fixed bound $|\pi|\leq c$. We carry out a systematic study of this property and show that it can be…
We prove that if $F$ is a finitely generated abelian group of orientation preserving $C^1$ diffeomorphisms of $R^2$ which leaves invariant a compact set then there is a common fixed point for all elements of $F.$ We also show that if $F$ is…
In this paper we study holomorphic actions of the complex multiplicative group on complex manifolds around a singular (fixed) point. We prove linearization results for the germ of action and also for the whole action under some conditions…
We prove that if $X$ is a compact, oriented, connected $4$-dimensional smooth manifold, possibly with boundary, satisfying $\chi(X)\neq 0$, then there exists an integer $C\geq 1$ such that any finite group $G$ acting smoothly and…