Arithmeticity vs. non-linearity for irreducible lattices

We establish an arithmeticity vs. non-linearity alternative for irreducible lattices in suitable product groups, such as for instance products of topologically simple groups. This applies notably to a (large class of) Kac-Moody groups. The alternative relies on a CAT(0) superrigidity theorem, as we follow Margulis' reduction of arithmeticity to superrigidity.Comment: 11 page

Growth gap in hyperbolic groups and amenability

International audienceWe prove a general version of the amenability conjecture in the unified setting of a Gromov hyperbolic group G acting properly cocompactly either on its Cayley graph, or on a CAT(-1)-space. Namely, for any subgroup H of G, we show that H is co-amenable in G if and only if their exponential growth rates (with respect to the prescribed action) coincide. For this, we prove a quantified, representation-theoretical version of Stadlbauer's amenability criterion for group extensions of a topologically transitive subshift of finite type, in terms of the spectral radii of the classical Ruelle transfer operator and its corresponding extension. As a consequence, we are able to show that, in our enlarged context, there is a gap between the exponential growth rate of a group with Kazhdan's property (T) and the ones of its infinite index subgroups. This also generalizes a well-known theorem of Corlette for lattices of the quaternionic hyperbolic space or the Cayley hyperbolic plane