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

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(\Gamma, 1)-spaces and obtain an extension of arithmeticity results of Sullivan in rational homotopy theory

Weakly commensurable groups, with applications to differential geometry

The article contains a survey of our results on weakly commensurable arithmetic and general Zariski-dense subgroups, length-commensurable and isospectral locally symmetric spaces and of related problems in the theory of semi-simple agebraic groups. We have included a discussion of very recent results and conjectures on absolutely almost simple algebraic groups having the same maximal tori and finite-dimensional division algebras having the same maximal subfields.Comment: Improved exposition, updated bibliography. arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:1212.121

Cusps of arithmetic orbifolds

This thesis investigates cusp cross-sections of arithmetic real, complex, and quaternionic hyperbolic $n$--orbifolds. We give a smooth classification of these submanifolds and analyze their induced geometry. One of the primary tools is a new subgroup separability result for general arithmetic lattices.Comment: 76 pages; Ph.D. thesi

Weakly commensurable arithmetic groups, lengths of closed geodesics and isospectral locally symmetric spaces

We introduce the notion of weak commensurabilty of arithmetic subgroups and relate it to the length equivalence and isospectrality of locally symmetric spaces. We prove many strong consequences of weak commensurabilty and derive from these many interesting results about isolength and isospectral locally symmetric spaces.Comment: 62 page

Generic elements in Zariski-dense subgroups and isospectral locally symmetric spaces

The article contains a survey of results on length-commensurable and isospectral locally symmetric spaces and related problems in the theory of semi-simple algebraic groups.Comment: New material has been added in section