Schwartz's discreteness conjecture for complex hyperbolic triangle groups

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Let p,q,rp,q,r be positive integers such that p⩽q⩽rp\leqslant q\leqslant r and

1p+1q+1r<1.\frac{1}{p}+\frac{1}{q}+\frac{1}{r}<1.

Let (L1,L2,L3)(L_1,L_2,L_3) be a (p,q,r;α)(p,q,r;\alpha)-triangle in complex hyperbolic 2-space, let Ik∈PU(2,1)I_k\in\mathrm{PU}(2,1) be inversion in LkL_k, and let the associated (p,q,r;α)(p,q,r;\alpha) representation of the triangle group Δp,q,r\Delta_{p,q,r} send its generators to I1,I2,I3I_1,I_2,I_3. Define

WA=I1I3I2I3,WB=I1I2I3.W_A=I_1I_3I_2I_3,\qquad W_B=I_1I_2I_3.

Schwartz's conjecture. The (p,q,r;α)(p,q,r;\alpha) representation of Δp,q,r\Delta_{p,q,r} is discrete and faithful if and only if WAW_A and WBW_B are non-elliptic. Furthermore, if p<10p<10, it is discrete and faithful if and only if WAW_A is non-elliptic, while if p>13p>13, it is discrete and faithful if and only if WBW_B is non-elliptic. This conjecture proposes trace-type criteria for discreteness and faithfulness of complex hyperbolic triangle-group representations; the supplied text does not state whether it has been proved or disproved.

Equivalent formulations 2Other wordings

Other statements of this same problem, merged from separate entries. Each is equivalent to the statement above — proving any one settles them all.

  1. Schwartz's discreteness conjecture for complex hyperbolic triangle groups

    Let Δ(p,q,r;θ)⊂PU⁡(2,1)\Delta(p,q,r;\theta)\subset \operatorname{PU}(2,1) be the complex hyperbolic triangle group generated by complex reflections I1,I2,I3I_1,I_2,I_3, and let

    Λ(p,q,r)=⟨a,b,c  |  a2=b2=c2=e, (ab)p=(bc)q=(ca)r=e⟩\Lambda(p,q,r)=\left\langle a,b,c\;\middle\vert\;a^2=b^2=c^2=e,\ (ab)^p=(bc)^q=(ca)^r=e\right\rangle

    be the corresponding abstract triangle group, with I3I2I1I2I_3I_2I_1I_2 and I1I2I3I_1I_2I_3 the specified elements of Δ(p,q,r;θ)\Delta(p,q,r;\theta). Schwartz's conjecture. The group Δ(p,q,r;θ)\Delta(p,q,r;\theta) is a discrete and injective representation of Λ(p,q,r)\Lambda(p,q,r) in PU⁡(2,1)\operatorname{PU}(2,1) if and only if I3I2I1I2I_3I_2I_1I_2 and I1I2I3I_1I_2I_3 are both not elliptic. This conjecture gives a criterion for discreteness and faithfulness of complex hyperbolic triangle-group representations; the supplied source does not state whether it has been resolved.

    source: Raphaël Alexandre, “Redundancy of triangle groups in spherical CR representations”, arXiv:2006.09089 (2021).

  2. Schwartz's discreteness conjecture for complex hyperbolic triangle groups

    Let p,q,rp,q,r satisfy 3≤p≤q≤r3\leq p\leq q\leq r. Consider a representation of the triangle group Γp,q,r\Gamma_{p,q,r} into PU⁡(2,1)\operatorname{PU}(2,1) obtained by sending the standard generators to order-two complex reflections I1,I2,I3I_1,I_2,I_3. Define

    WA=I3I2I1I2,WB=I1I2I3.W_A=I_3I_2I_1I_2,\qquad W_B=I_1I_2I_3.

    Schwartz's conjecture. The representation is discrete and faithful if and only if neither WAW_A nor WBW_B is elliptic.

    This conjecture predicts that discreteness and faithfulness of these complex hyperbolic triangle-group representations are determined by the isometry types of the two words WAW_A and WBW_B. The source attributes the conjecture to Schwartz; its resolution status is not specified in the supplied text.

    source: Arielle Marc-Zwecker, “Triangle groups in the complex hyperbolic plane and special fibers of the momentum map in PU(2,1)”, arXiv:2304.10329 (2023).

References

Primary source

Ulysse Remfort-Aurat, “Simple-stable representations of surface groups in PU(2,1)”, arXiv:2605.28891 (2026).

Additional references

2 papers in this index state this conjecture (2021–2026). The statement above is taken from the most recent of them; the others are arXiv:2101.09861.

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