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Timothée Marquis

Publications and source records attributed to Timothée Marquis.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
arXiv2026

Describing the nub in maximal Kac-Moody groups

Let $G$ be a totally disconnected locally compact (tdlc) group. The contraction group $\mathrm{con}(g)$ of an element $g\in G$ is the set of all $h\in G$ such that $g^n h g^{-n} \to 1_G$ as $n \to \infty$. The nub of $g$ can then be characterized as the intersection $\mathrm{nub}(g)$ of the closures of $\mathrm{con}(g)$ and $\mathrm{con}(g^{-1})$. Contraction groups and nubs provide important tools in the study of the structure of tdlc groups, as already evidenced in the work of G. Willis. It is known that $\mathrm{nub}(g) = \{1\}$ if and only if $\mathrm{con}(g)$ is closed. In general, contraction groups are not closed and computing the nub is typically a challenging problem. Maximal Kac-Moody groups over finite fields form a prominent family of non-discrete compactly generated simple tdlc groups. In this paper we give a complete description of the nub of any element in these groups.

math.GR↗
arXiv2025

Presentation and uniqueness of Kac-Moody groups over local rings

To any generalised Cartan matrix (GCM) $A$ and any ring $R$, Tits associated a Kac-Moody group $\mathfrak{G}_A(R)$ defined by a presentation à la Steinberg. For a domain $R$ with field of fractions $\mathbb{K}$, we explore the question of whether the canonical map $φ_R\colon\thinspace \mathfrak{G}_A(R)\to \mathfrak{G}_A(\mathbb{K})$ is injective. This question for Cartan matrices has a long history, and for GCMs was already present in Tits' foundational papers on Kac-Moody groups. We prove that for any $2$-spherical GCM $A$, the map $φ_R$ is injective for all valuation rings $R$ (under an additional minor condition (co)). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first such injectivity result beyond the classical setting.

math.GR↗
arXiv2025

Stable reflection length in Coxeter groups

We introduce stable reflection length in Coxeter groups, as a way to study the asymptotic behaviour of reflection length. This creates connections to other well-studied stable length functions in groups, namely stable commutator length and stable torsion length. As an application, we give a complete characterisation of elements whose reflection length is unbounded on powers.

math.GR↗
arXiv2024

Amalgams of rational unipotent groups and residual nilpotence

We provide sufficient conditions for a free amalgamated product of torsionfree nilpotent groups to be residually nilpotent. We also characterise the residual nilpotence of certain higher-dimensional amalgams of unipotent groups over the rationals (known as KMS groups) in terms of their defining Cartan matrix. As an application, we give a normal form for the elements of a minimal Kac-Moody group over the rationals.

math.GR↗
arXiv2023

Structure of conjugacy classes in Coxeter groups

This paper gives a definitive solution to the problem of describing conjugacy classes in arbitrary Coxeter groups in terms of cyclic shifts. Let $(W,S)$ be a Coxeter system. A cyclic shift of an element $w\in W$ is a conjugate of $w$ of the form $sws$ for some simple reflection $s\in S$ such that $\ell_S(sws)\leq\ell_S(w)$. The cyclic shift class of $w$ is then the set of elements of $W$ that can be obtained from $w$ by a sequence of cyclic shifts. Given a subset $K\subseteq S$ such that $W_K:=\langle K\rangle\subseteq W$ is finite, we also call two elements $w,w'\in W$ $K$-conjugate if $w,w'$ normalise $W_K$ and $w'=w_0(K)ww_0(K)$, where $w_0(K)$ is the longest element of $W_K$. Let $\mathcal O$ be a conjugacy class in $W$, and let $\mathcal O^{\min}$ be the set of elements of minimal length in $\mathcal O$. Then $\mathcal O^{\min}$ is the disjoint union of finitely many cyclic shift classes $C_1,\dots,C_k$. We define the structural conjugation graph associated to $\mathcal O$ to be the graph with vertices $C_1,\dots,C_k$, and with an edge between distinct vertices $C_i,C_j$ if they contain representatives $u\in C_i$ and $v\in C_j$ such that $u,v$ are $K$-conjugate for some $K\subseteq S$. In this paper, we compute explicitely the structural conjugation graph associated to any (possibly twisted) conjugacy class in $W$, and show in particular that it is connected (that is, any two conjugate elements of $W$ differ only by a sequence of cyclic shifts and $K$-conjugations). Along the way, we obtain several results of independent interest, such as a description of the centraliser of an infinite order element $w\in W$, as well as the existence of natural decompositions of $w$ as a product of a "torsion part" and of a "straight part", with useful properties.

math.GR↗
arXiv2023

Minicourse on Kac-Moody groups

These are informal lecture notes for a three-hour minicourse on Kac-Moody groups, given at the workshop "Kac-Moody geometry" in July 2023 in Kiel. They provide a concise overview of the book "An introduction to Kac-Moody groups over fields", EMS Textbooks in Mathematics (2018). They assume a previous familiarity with the (very) basics of Kac-Moody algebras. For readers unfamiliar with the latter topic, short "Prerequisites" notes (referenced within the text) are also freely available.

math.GR↗
arXiv2023

Growing trees from compact subgroups

We establish a new connection between local and large-scale structure in compactly generated totally disconnected locally compact (t.d.l.c.) groups $G$, finding a sufficient condition for $G$ to have more than one end in terms of its compact subgroups. The condition actually results in an action of a quotient group $G/N$ on a tree with faithful micro-supported action on the boundary, where $N$ is compact, and is closely related to the Boolean algebra formed by the centralisers of the subgroups of $G/N$ with open normaliser. As an application, we find a sufficient condition, given a one-ended t.d.l.c. group $G$, for all direct factors of open subgroups of $G$ to be trivial or open.

math.GR↗
arXiv2022

Locally normal subgroups and ends of locally compact Kac-Moody groups

A locally normal subgroup in a topological group is a subgroup whose normaliser is open. In this paper, we provide a detailed description of the large-scale structure of closed locally normal subgroups of complete Kac-Moody groups over finite fields. Combining that description with the main result from arXiv:2111.07066, we show that under mild assumptions, if the Kac-Moody group is one-ended (a property that is easily determined from the generalised Cartan matrix), then it is locally indecomposable, which means that no open subgroup decomposes as a nontrivial direct product.

math.GR↗
arXiv2022

On the centre of Iwahori-Hecke algebras

We prove triviality of the centre of arbitrary Hecke algebras of irreducible non-finite non-affine type. This result is obtained as a consequence of the following structure result for conjugacy classes of the underlying Coxeter groups. If $W$ is any infinite irreducible Coxeter group and $w \in W$ is a nontrivial element that is assumed not be a translation in case $W$ is affine, then there is an infinite sequence of conjugates of $w$ by Coxeter generators whose length is non-decreasing and tends to infinity.

math.GR↗
arXiv2020

Cyclically reduced elements in Coxeter groups

Let $W$ be a Coxeter group. We provide a precise description of the conjugacy classes in $W$, in the spirit of Matsumoto's theorem. This extends to all Coxeter groups an important result on finite Coxeter groups by M. Geck and G. Pfeiffer from 1993. In particular, we describe the cyclically reduced elements of $W$, thereby proving a conjecture of A. Cohen from 1994.

math.GR↗
arXiv2020

On the structure of Kac-Moody algebras

Let $A$ be a symmetrisable generalised Cartan matrix, and let $\mathfrak g(A)$ be the corresponding Kac-Moody algebra. In this paper, we address the following fundamental question on the structure of $\mathfrak g(A)$: given two homogeneous elements $x,y \in \mathfrak g(A)$, when is their bracket $[x,y]$ a nonzero element? As an application of our results, we give a description of the solvable and nilpotent graded subalgebras of $\mathfrak g(A)$.

math.RA↗
arXiv2019

Around the Lie correspondence for complete Kac-Moody groups and Gabber-Kac simplicity

Let $k$ be a field and $A$ be a generalised Cartan matrix, and let ${\mathfrak G}_A(k)$ be the corresponding minimal Kac-Moody group of simply connected type over $k$. Consider the completion ${\mathfrak G}_A^{pma}(k)$ of ${\mathfrak G}_A(k)$ introduced by O. Mathieu and G. Rousseau, and let ${\mathfrak U}_A^{ma+}(k)$ denote the unipotent radical of the positive Borel subgroup of ${\mathfrak G}_A^{pma}(k)$. In this paper, we exhibit some functoriality dependence of the groups ${\mathfrak U}_A^{ma+}(k)$ and ${\mathfrak G}_A^{pma}(k)$ on their Lie algebra. We also produce a large class of examples of minimal Kac-Moody groups ${\mathfrak G}_A(k)$ that are not dense in their Mathieu-Rousseau completion ${\mathfrak G}_A^{pma}(k)$. Finally, we explain how the problematic of providing a unified theory of complete Kac-Moody groups is related to the conjecture of Gabber-Kac simplicity of ${\mathfrak G}_A^{pma}(k)$, stating that every normal subgroup of ${\mathfrak G}_A^{pma}(k)$ that is contained in ${\mathfrak U}_A^{ma+}(k)$ must be trivial. We present several motivations for the study of this conjecture, as well as several applications of our functoriality theorem, with contributions to the question of (non-)linearity of ${\mathfrak U}_A^{ma+}(k)$, and to the isomorphism problem for complete Kac-Moody groups over finite fields. For $k$ finite, we also make some observations on the structure of ${\mathfrak U}_A^{ma+}(k)$ in the light of some important concepts from the theory of pro-$p$ groups.

math.GR↗
arXiv2018

Half-Lie groups

In this paper we study the Lie theoretic properties of a class of topological groups which carry a Banach manifold structure but whose multiplication is not smooth. If $G$ and $N$ are Banach-Lie groups and $π: G \to \mathrm{Aut}(N)$ is a homomorphism defining a continuous action of $G$ on $N$, then $H := N \rtimes_πG$ is a Banach manifold with a topological group structure for which the left multiplication maps are smooth, but the right multiplication maps need not to be. We show that these groups share surprisingly many properties with Banach-Lie groups: (a) for every regulated function $ξ: [0,1] \to T_1H$ the initial value problem $\dotγ(t) = γ(t)ξ(t)$, $γ(0)= 1_H$, has a solution and the corresponding evolution map from curves in $T_1H$ to curves in $H$ is continuous; (b) every $C^1$-curve $γ$ with $γ(0) = 1$ and $γ'(0) = x$ satisfies $\lim_{n \to \infty} γ(t/n)^n = \exp(tx)$; (c) the Trotter formula holds for $C^1$ one-parameter groups in $H$; (d) the subgroup $N^\infty$ of elements with smooth $G$-orbit maps in $N$ carries a natural Fréchet-Lie group structure for which the $G$-action is smooth; (e) the resulting Fréchet-Lie group $H^\infty := N^\infty \rtimes G$ is also regular in the sense of (a).

math.RT↗
arXiv2018

On geodesic ray bundles in buildings

Let $X$ be a building, identified with its Davis realisation. In this paper, we provide for each $x\in X$ and each $η$ in the visual boundary $\partial X$ of $X$ a description of the geodesic ray bundle $Geo(x,η)$, namely, of the reunion of all combinatorial geodesic rays (corresponding to infinite minimal galleries in the chamber graph of $X$) starting from $x$ and pointing towards $η$. When $X$ is locally finite and hyperbolic, we show that the symmetric difference between $Geo(x,η)$ and $Geo(y,η)$ is always finite, for $x,y\in X$ and $η\in\partial X$. This gives a positive answer to a question of Huang, Sabok and Shinko in the setting of buildings. Combining their results with a construction of Bourdon, we obtain examples of hyperbolic groups $G$ with Kazhdan's property (T) such that the $G$-action on its Gromov boundary is hyperfinite.

math.GR↗
arXiv2015

Positive energy representations of double extensions of Hilbert loop algebras

A real Lie algebra with a compatible Hilbert space structure (in the sense that the scalar product is invariant) is called a Hilbert-Lie algebra. Such Lie algebras are natural infinite-dimensional analogues of the compact Lie algebras; in particular, any infinite-dimensional simple Hilbert-Lie algebra $\mathfrak{k}$ is of one of the four classical types $A_J$, $B_J$, $C_J$ or $D_J$ for some infinite set $J$. Imitating the construction of affine Kac-Moody algebras, one can then consider affinisations of $\mathfrak{k}$, that is, double extensions of (twisted) loop algebras over $\mathfrak{k}$. Such an affinisation $\mathfrak{g}$ of $\mathfrak{k}$ possesses a root space decomposition with respect to some Cartan subalgebra $\mathfrak{h}$, whose corresponding root system yields one of the seven locally affine root systems (LARS) of type $A_J^{(1)}$, $B^{(1)}_J$, $C^{(1)}_J$, $D_J^{(1)}$, $B_J^{(2)}$, $C_J^{(2)}$ or $BC_J^{(2)}$. Let $D\in\mathrm{der}(\mathfrak{g})$ with $\mathfrak{h}\subseteq\mathrm{ker}D$ (a diagonal derivation of $\mathfrak{g}$). Then every highest weight representation $(ρ_λ,L(λ))$ of $\mathfrak{g}$ with highest weight $λ$ can be extended to a representation $\widetildeρ_λ$ of the semi-direct product $\mathfrak{g}\rtimes \mathbb{R} D$. In this paper, we characterise all pairs $(λ,D)$ for which the representation $\widetildeρ_λ$ is of positive energy, namely, for which the spectrum of the operator $-i\widetildeρ_λ(D)$ is bounded from below.

math.RT↗
arXiv2015

Isomorphisms of twisted Hilbert loop algebras

The closest infinite dimensional relatives of compact Lie algebras are Hilbert-Lie algebras, i.e. real Hilbert spaces with a Lie algebra structure for which the scalar product is invariant. Locally affine Lie algebras (LALAs) correspond to double extensions of (twisted) loop algebras over simple Hilbert-Lie algebras $\mathfrak{k}$, also called affinisations of $\mathfrak{k}$. They possess a root space decomposition whose corresponding root system is a locally affine root system of one of the $7$ families $A_J^{(1)}$, $B_J^{(1)}$, $C_J^{(1)}$, $D_J^{(1)}$, $B_J^{(2)}$, $C_J^{(2)}$ and $BC_J^{(2)}$ for some infinite set $J$. To each of these types corresponds a "minimal" affinisation of some simple Hilbert-Lie algebra $\mathfrak{k}$, which we call standard. In this paper, we give for each affinisation $\mathfrak{g}$ of a simple Hilbert-Lie algebra $\mathfrak{k}$ an explicit isomorphism from $\mathfrak{g}$ to one of the standard affinisations of $\mathfrak{k}$. The existence of such an isomorphism could also be derived from the classification of locally affine root systems, but for representation theoretic purposes it is crucial to obtain it explicitely as a deformation between two twists which is compatible with the root decompositions. We illustrate this by applying our isomorphism theorem to the study of positive energy highest weight representations of $\mathfrak{g}$. In subsequent work, the present paper will be used to obtain a complete classification of the positive energy highest weight representations of affinisations of $\mathfrak{k}$.

math.RA↗