SMS scnews item created by Anne Thomas at Mon 24 Jan 2011 1427
Type: Seminar
Distribution: World
Expiry: 14 Feb 2011
Calendar1: 14 Feb 2011 1200-1500
CalLoc1: University of Newcastle, Room V206, Mathematics Building
Auth: athomas(.pmstaff;2039.2002)@p615.pc.maths.usyd.edu.au

# Infinite Groups Seminar: Willis, Piggott

The next Infinite Groups Seminar will be held at the University of Newcastle on Monday
14 February.  The schedule is below.  Please get in touch if you are interested in
getting the train to/from Newcastle with me - Anne.

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The seminar will be held in Room V206 of the Mathematics building and the two talks will
be at 12:00 and 2:00.

12:00 George Willis, University of Newcastle

TITLE: Rigidity of Homomorphisms from Arithmetic Groups to Totally Disconnected Groups

ABSTRACT: The talk will explain joint work with Yehuda Shalom showing that the only
homomorphisms from certain arithmetic groups to totally disconnected, locally compact
groups are the obvious, or naturally occurring, ones.  For these groups, this extends
the supperrigidity theorem that G.  Margulis proved for homomorphisms from high rank
arithmetic groups to Lie groups.

The theorems will be illustrated by referring to the groups $SL_3(\mathbb{Z})$,
$SL_2(\mathbb{Z}[\sqrt{2}])$ and $SL_3(\mathbb{Q})$.