We develop the foundations of the deformation theory of compact complete affine space forms and affine crystallographic groups. Using methods from the theory of linear algebraic groups we show that these deformation spaces inherit an algebraic structure from the space of crystallographic homomorphisms. We also study the properties of the action of the homotopy mapping class groups on deformation spaces. In our context these groups are arithmetic groups, and we construct examples of flat affine manifolds where every finite group of mapping classes admits a fixed point on the deformation space. We also show that the existence of fixed points on the deformation space is equivalent to the realisation of finite groups of homotopy equivalences by finite groups of affine diffeomorphisms. Extending ideas of Auslander we relate the deformation spaces of affine space forms with solvable fundamental group to deformation spaces of manifolds with nilpotent fundamental group. We give applications concerning the classification problem for affine space forms.
Let N be a simply connected, connected real nilpotent Lie group of finite dimension n. We study subgroups $Γ$ in $\Aff (N)=N\rtimes \Aut (N)$ acting properly discontinuously and cocompactly on N. This situation is a natural generalization of the so-called affine crystallographic groups. We prove that for all dimensions $1\le n\le 5$ the generalized Auslander conjecture holds, i.e., that such subgroups are virtually polycyclic.
The group action which defines the moduli problem for the deformation space of flat affine structures on the two-torus is the action of the affine group $\Aff(2)$ on $\bbR^2$. Since this action has non-compact stabiliser $\GL(2,\bbR)$, the underlying locally homogeneous geometry is highly non-Riemannian. In this article, we describe the deformation space of all flat affine structures on the two-torus. In this context interesting phenomena arise in the topology of the deformation space, which, for example, is \emph{not} a Hausdorff space. This contrasts with the case of constant curvature metri…
Associated to every complete affine 3-manifold M with nonsolvable fundamental group is a noncompact hyperbolic surface S. We classify such complete affine structures when Sigma is homeomorphic to a three-holed sphere. In particular, for every such complete hyperbolic surface Sigma, the deformation space identifies with two opposite octants in R^3. Furthermore every M admits a fundamental polyhedron bounded by crooked planes. Therefore M is homeomorphic to an open solid handlebody of genus two. As an explicit application of this theory, we construct proper affine deformations of an arithmetic F…
Periods of parallel exterior forms define natural coordinates on the deformation space of complete affine structures on the two-torus. These coordinates define a differentiable structure on this deformation space, under which it is diffeomorphic to $R^2$. The action of the mapping class group of $T^2$ is equivalent in these coordinates with the standard linear action of $\SL_2(Z)$ on $R^2$.
We will introduce formal frames of manifolds, which are a generalization of ordinary frames. Their fundamental properties are discussed. In particular, canonical forms are introduced, and torsions are defined in terms of them as a generalization of the structural equations. It will be shown that the vanishing of torsions are equivalent to the realizability of given formal frames as ordinary frames. We will also discuss deformations of linear connections on tangent bundles. An application to deformations of foliations are then given.
We introduce higher strip deformations, which give a way of constructing affine deformations of discrete free groups in the image of the irreducible representation $\operatorname{PSL}_2\mathbb{R}\to \operatorname{SO}(2n,2n-1)$. We use the Margulis invariant to find a properness condition for these deformations, showing that each convex cocompact free group admits affine deformations acting properly on $\mathbb{R}^{4n-1}$. Using our method we can also construct proper affine actions of virtually free groups, which we demonstrate by finding proper actions of $C_2 \star C_3$ on $\mathbb{R}^7.$
We consider the deformation of a discontinuous group acting on the Euclidean space by affine transformations. A distinguished feature here is that even a `small' deformation of a discrete subgroup may destroy proper discontinuity of its action. In order to understand the local structure of the deformation space of discontinuous groups, we introduce the concepts from a group theoretic perspective, and focus on `stability' and `local rigidity' of discontinuous groups. As a test case, we give an explicit description of the deformation space of Z^k acting properly discontinuously on R^{k+1} by aff…
A Margulis spacetime is a complete flat Lorentzian 3-manifold M with free fundamental group. Associated to M is a noncompact complete hyperbolic surface S homotopy-equivalent to M. The purpose of this paper is to classify Margulis spacetimes when S is homeomorphic to a one-holed torus. We show that every such M decomposes into polyhedra bounded by crooked planes, corresponding to an ideal triangulation of S. This paper classifies and analyzes the structure of crooked ideal triangles, which play the same role for Margulis spacetimes as ideal triangles play for hyperbolic surfaces. This extends …
We give necessary and sufficient conditions for an affine deformation of a Schottky subgroup of O(2,1) to act properly on affine space. There exists a real-valued biaffine map between the cohomology of the Schottky group and the space of geodesic currents on the corresponding hyperbolic surface S. For a fixed cohomology class, this map is uniformly positive or uniformly negative on the space of geodesic currents if and only if the corresponding affine deformation is proper. As a corollary, the deformation space of proper affine deformations is an open convex cone.
Affine deformations serve as basic examples in the continuum mechanics of deformable 3-dimensional bodies (referred as homogeneous deformations). They preserve parallelism and are often used as an approximation to general deformations. However, when the deformable body is a membrane, a shell or an interface modeled by a surface, the parallelism is defined by the affine connection of this surface. In this work we study the infinitesimally affine time - dependent deformations (motions) after establishing formulas for the variation of the connection, but in the more general context of hypersurfac…
This paper applies the authors' forthcoming work, "Affine deformations of a three-holed sphere" in Lorentzian geometry to prove a result in hyperbolic geometry. Namely, an infinitesimal deformation of a hyperbolic structure of a three-holed sphere which infinitesimally lengthens the three boundary components infinitesimally lengthens every closed geodesic. The proof interprets the derivative of the geodesic length function as the Margulis invariant (signed marked Lorentzian length spectrum) of the corresponding affine deformation. The aforementioned results imply that the affine deformation is…
We study affine maps between affine manifolds. Even when the fibers are compact and diffeomorphic, two of them can inherit different affine structures from the source space. This leads to a fixed linear holonomy deformation theory of the affine structure of an affine manifold. We found various conditions which make the fibers to be affinely isomorphic. We also classify affine bundles which total space is a compact and complete affine manifold.
In his 1990 doctoral thesis, Todd Drumm showed that proper affine deformations of free Fuchsian groups could be constructed as Schottky groups using a new family of hypersurfaces called "crooked planes." The existence of proper affine deformations of Fuchsian Schottky groups was demonstrated by Margulis in the early 1980's, answering a question raised by Milnor in 1977. This paper expounds Drumm's result, at least in the case of Fuchsian Schottky groups (that is, when the group contains no parabolic elements).
We investigate octonion product deformations coming from the parallelizable torsion of the 7-sphere $S^7$, obtaining a family of geometries from solutions of the Lagrangian formalism movement equations. This can be achieved by analyzing the spontaneous compactification $M_4\times S^7$, where $M_4$ is a Lorentzian $4$-dimensional manifold. Besides the usual Riemannian geometry and two others proposed by Cartan and Schouten, solutions in geometries with torsion and more general seven-dimensional spaces are obtained. Such formalism may by subsequently derived over the 7-sphere $S^7$, locally give…
Lagrangian curves in 4-space entertain intriguing relationships with second order deformation of plane curves under the special affine group and null curves in a 3-dimensional Lorentzian space form. We provide a natural affine symplectic frame for Lagrangian curves. It allows us to classify Lagrangrian curves with constant symplectic curvatures, to construct a class of Lagrangian tori and determine Lagrangian geodesics.
We use a natural affine connection with nontrivial torsion on an arbitrary almost-Kaehler manifold which respects the almost-Kaehler structure to construct a Fedosov-type deformation quantization on this manifold.
