Multiplicative constants and maximal measurable cocycles in bounded cohomology

Multiplicative constants are a fundamental tool in the study of maximal representations. In this paper, we show how to extend such notion, and the associated framework, to measurable cocycles theory. As an application of this approach, we define and study the Cartan invariant for measurable $\mathrm{PU}(m,1)$ -cocycles of complex hyperbolic lattices.

BIG MAPPING CLASS GROUPS WITH HYPERBOLIC ACTIONS: CLASSIFICATION AND APPLICATIONS

We address the question of determining which mapping class groups of infinite-type surfaces admit nonelementary continuous actions on hyperbolic spaces. More precisely, let $\Sigma $ be a connected, orientable surface of infinite type with tame endspace whose mapping class group is generated by a coarsely bounded subset. We prove that ${\mathrm {Map}}(\Sigma )$ admits a continuous nonelementary action on a hyperbolic space if and only if $\Sigma $ contains a finite-type subsurface which intersects all its homeomorphic translates. When $\Sigma $ contains such a nondisplaceable subsurface K of finite type, the hyperbolic space we build is constructed from the curve graphs of K and its homeomorphic translates via a construction of Bestvina, Bromberg and Fujiwara. Our construction has several applications: first, the second bounded cohomology of ${\mathrm {Map}}(\Sigma )$ contains an embedded $\ell ^1$ ; second, using work of Dahmani, Guirardel and Osin, we deduce that ${\mathrm {Map}} (\Sigma )$ contains nontrivial normal free subgroups (while it does not if $\Sigma $ has no nondisplaceable subsurface of finite type), has uncountably many quotients and is SQ-universal.

Borel and Volume Classes for Dense Representations of Discrete Groups

We show that the bounded Borel class of any dense representation $\rho : G\to{\operatorname{PSL}}_n{\mathbb{C}}$ is non-zero in degree three bounded cohomology and has maximal semi-norm, for any discrete group $G$. When $n=2$, the Borel class is equal to the three-dimensional hyperbolic volume class. Using tools from the theory of Kleinian groups, we show that the volume class of a dense representation $\rho : G\to{\operatorname{PSL}}_2{\mathbb{C}}$ is uniformly separated in semi-norm from any other representation $\rho ^{\prime}: G\to{\operatorname{PSL}}_2 {\mathbb{C}}$ for which there is a subgroup $H\le G$ on which $\rho $ is still dense but $\rho ^{\prime}$ is discrete or indiscrete but stabilizes a point, line, or plane in ${\mathbb{H}}^3\cup \partial{\mathbb{H}}^3$. We exhibit a family of dense representations of a non-abelian free group on two letters and a family of discontinuous dense representations of ${\operatorname{PSL}}_2{\mathbb{R}}$, whose volume classes are linearly independent and satisfy some additional properties; the cardinality of these families is that of the continuum. We explain how the strategy employed may be used to produce non-trivial volume classes in higher dimensions, contingent on the existence of a family of hyperbolic manifolds with certain topological and geometric properties.

A MATSUMOTO–MOSTOW RESULT FOR ZIMMER’S COCYCLES OF HYPERBOLIC LATTICES

Following the philosophy behind the theory of maximal representations, we introduce the volume of a Zimmer’s cocycle Γ × X → PO° (n, 1), where Γ is a torsion-free (non-)uniform lattice in PO° (n, 1), with n > 3, and X is a suitable standard Borel probability Γ-space. Our numerical invariant extends the volume of representations for (non-)uniform lattices to measurable cocycles and in the uniform setting it agrees with the generalized version of the Euler number of self-couplings. We prove that our volume of cocycles satisfies a Milnor–Wood type inequality in terms of the volume of the manifold Γ\ℍn. Additionally this invariant can be interpreted as a suitable multiplicative constant between bounded cohomology classes. This allows us to define a family of measurable cocycles with vanishing volume. The same interpretation enables us to characterize maximal cocycles for being cohomologous to the cocycle induced by the standard lattice embedding via a measurable map X → PO° (n, 1) with essentially constant sign.As a by-product of our rigidity result for the volume of cocycles, we give a different proof of the mapping degree theorem. This allows us to provide a complete characterization of maps homotopic to local isometries between closed hyperbolic manifolds in terms of maximal cocycles.In dimension n = 2, we introduce the notion of Euler number of measurable cocycles associated to a closed surface group and we show that it extends the classic Euler number of representations. Our Euler number agrees with the generalized version of the Euler number of self-couplings up to a multiplicative constant. Imitating the techniques developed in the case of the volume, we show a Milnor–Wood type inequality whose upper bound is given by the modulus of the Euler characteristic of the associated closed surface. This gives an alternative proof of the same result for the generalized version of the Euler number of self-couplings. Finally, using the interpretation of the Euler number as a multiplicative constant between bounded cohomology classes, we characterize maximal cocycles as those which are cohomologous to the one induced by a hyperbolization.