Quaternion Groups

and
Lattices in Products of Trees

(Diego Rattaggi, Université de Genève)

(supported by the Swiss NSF)

• Definition of “(2m, 2n)–groups”

(π1 of certain square complexes)

• Examples (including Γp,l )

• Groups generated by two quaternions,

e.g. h1 + j + k, 1 + 2ji

1
 Definition of (2m, 2n)–groups

Let m, n ∈ N. A (2m, 2n)–group Γ is π1(X, x)

bn

b1

X (1) =
a1 am
x

a±1
k
x x

X = X (1) ∪ mn squares b±1

l b±1
j

x x
a±1
i

a1 a−1
1 am a−1
m

Link(X, x) =

b1 b−1
1 bn b−1
n

2
 Link(X, x)

Definition:

a2 a1 a−1 a2 a−1
1 2

4 3 1 2 3 4

b2 b1

1 2
a1 b1 b−1
1 b2 b−1
2

Condition (no missing corners): Given any

a ∈ {a1 , . . . , am }±1, b ∈ {b1, . . . , bn}±1 ∃! 
(among the mn squares in X) of the form

a a
or or or

b b b b

a a

3
General properties of (2m, 2n)–group Γ

• Finite presentation
Γ = ha1 , . . . , am , b1, . . . , bn | mn  relationsi

• X̃ = T2m × T2n (affine building)

• Γ < Aut(T2m ) × Aut(T2n) uniform lattice.

Original motivation (Burger-Mozes-Zimmer):
study analogies with lattices in higher rank
semisimple Lie groups, obtain rigidity and
arithmeticity results à la Margulis.
(Lattices in Aut(Tm): Bass, Lubotzky)

• Γ is torsion-free (Γ is non-positively curved),

ZΓ = 1, if m, n ≥ 2

∼F ,
• ∃ free subgroups, e.g. ha1 , . . . , am i = m
and ∃ abelian subgroups Z × Z

4
Examples of (2m, 2n)–groups

a1
m=n=1

b1 b1

∼ Z×Z
Γ=

a1

a1
m=n=1

b1 b1

a1

a i bj = b j ai Γ=∼ F ×F
• m n
(∀i = 1, . . . , m, j = 1, . . . , n)

5
 Interesting examples

• Non-residually finite (8, 6)–group

(Wise 1996)
intersection of finite index subgroups is non-trivial

• Virtually simple (2m, 2n)–groups if

2m ≥ 218, 2n ≥ 350 (Burger-Mozes 1997)
(2m ≥ 18, 2n ≥ 26, R. 2004)

First examples of finitely presented,

torsion-free, simple groups

• Explicit construction of a (10, 10)–group

having a simple subgroup S of index 4
(R. 2004).
Amalgam decomposition S = ∼F ∗
9 F81 F9

• (p+1, l+1)–groups Γp,l for all p, l distinct

odd prime numbers

6
Construction of Γp,l (here: p = 3, l = 5)

• quaternions: x = x0 + x1i + x2j + x3k

conjugate: x = x0 − x1i − x2j − x3k
multiplication: i2 = j 2 = k2 = −1 and
ij = k = −ji
norm of x: x20 + x 2 + x2 + x2 = xx
1 2 3

• (1 + j + k)(1 + 2i)
= 1 + 2i + 3j − k
= −(1 − 2j)(1 − j + k)

• X := {1 ± j ± k},
|X| = p + 1

Y := {1 ± 2i, 1 ± 2j, 1 ± 2i},

|Y | = l + 1

Theorem (Dickson 1922):

∀(x, y) ∈ X × Y ∃!(x̃, ỹ) ∈ X × Y
such that xy = ±ỹx̃.

7
 Construction of Γ3,5 (continued)

• homomorphism of groups
ψ : H(Q)∗ → PGL2(Q3) × PGL2(Q5 )

ψ(x) = ψ(−x) and ψ(x)−1 = ψ(x)

• Γ3,5 := ψhX ∪ Y i

a1 := ψ(1 + j + k) a−1
1 := ψ(1 − j − k)
a2 := ψ(1 + j − k) a−1
2 := ψ(1 − j + k)
b1 := ψ(1 + 2i) b−1
1 := ψ(1 − 2i)
b2 := ψ(1 + 2j) b−1
2 := ψ(1 − 2j)
b3 := ψ(1 + 2k) b−1
3 := ψ(1 − 2k)
a2 a2 a2

b2 b1 b1 b2 b1 b3

a1 a1 a1
a1 a2 a2

b2 b3 b3 b1 b2 b3

a1 a1 a2
8
 Properties of Γ = Γp,l

• Γ is a (p + 1, l + 1)–group
→ f.p. torsion-free, ∃ subgroups F2, Z × Z etc.

• Γ is a subgroup of SO3(Q) (linear)

via H(Q)∗ → SO3 (Q): x 7→ (Q3 → Q3 : y 7→ xyx−1 )

• Γ is CSA (R.-Robertson 2004)

all maximal abelian subgroups are malnormal,
H < Γ malnormal: gHg −1 ∩ H = 1, ∀g ∈ Γ \ H

in particular Γ is commutative transitive

relation of commutativity is transitive on Γ \ {1}

• Any non-trivial normal subgroup of Γ has

finite index (Burger-Mozes)

• Γ is amalgam of f.g. free groups

9
 Application: multiplicative groups
generated by two integer quaternions

∼F
• h1 + 2i, 1 + 2ji = 2
∼ Z×Z
h1 + 2i, 1 + 4ii =
∼ ???
h1 + j + k, 1 + 2ji =

• ψ : H(Q)∗ → PGL2(Q3) × PGL2(Q5 )

ψh1 + j + k, 1+j −k, 1+2i, 1 + 2j, 1+2ki = Γ3,5

• It turns out that ψh1 + j + k, 1 + 2ji has

finite index in Γ3,5 (index 2)

Many more examples (using GAP):

(1 + 2i, 1 + 4j) index 32 in Γ5,17

(1 + 2i + j + k, 3 + 2i − 2j) index 2736 in Γ7,17

(3 + j + 3k, 1 + 2i + 3j − 3k) index 48 in Γ19,23

10
• Proposition: For those examples (x, y):
hx, yi, Zhx, yi, hx, yiab, hx, yi0 are infinite,
f.p. groups.

In particular: hx, yi is not free

Moreover, hx, yi has subgps F2 and Z × Z

hx, yi is torsion-free ⇔ −1 ∈
/ Zhx, yi

(Remark: hx, yi is always f.g. linear, in particular

residually finite)

• Proofs use properties of Γp,l and short

exact sequence

ψ|
1 → Zhx, yi → hx, yi → hψ(x), ψ(y)i → 1

11
 Example: x = 1 + j + k, y = 1 + 2j

• hψ(x), ψ(y)i has index 2 in Γ3,5 and pres.

ha, b | r1(a, b), . . . , r5 (a, b)i where
r1 = r1 (x, y) = yx2 yxy −1 x4 y −1 x
r2 = x−1 yx−1 yx2 yx−2 yx−1 y 2x2 yxy
r3 = yxyx2 y 2 xy −1 xy 2 x2 yxy 2
r4 = yx2 yx−1 y −3 x−2 y −1 xy 2
r5 = xy −1 x2y −1 xy −1 x−2 y −1 x−2 yx−2 yx−1 yx2 yx

• Compute
r1(x, y) = 34, r2 (x, y) = 54 ,
r3(x, y) = 3454 ,
r4(x, y) = r5(x, y) = 1

• Zhx, yi = h34, 54 i < Q∗ < H(Q)∗

• Pres. of hx, yi as extension: gens. x, y

7 rels: r4, r5, r1 r2r3−1,

[x, r1], [x, r2 ], [y, r1], [y, r2 ]

12
Problem:
Find x, y ∈ H(Z), r, s ∈ N such that
∼F .
|x|2 = pr , |y|2 = ls and hx, yi = 2

13
 Definition of ψp,l

• Fix elements cp, dp ∈ Qp and cl , dl ∈ Ql

such that

c2 2
p + dp + 1 = 0 ∈ Q p

c2 2
l + dl + 1 = 0 ∈ Q l

For q ∈ {p, l} let ψq : H(Q)∗ → PGL2(Qq )

ψq (x0 + x1i + x2 j + x3k) :=

" !#
x0 + x1cq + x3dq −x1dq + x2 + x3cq
−x1dq − x2 + x3cq x0 − x1cq − x3dq

ψp,l(x) := (ψp(x), ψl (x))

• Proposition Let K be a field of char.

6= 2, and assume that there exist c, d ∈ K
such that c2 + d2 + 1 = 0.
∼ M (K) given by x 7→
Then H(K) = 2
!
x0 + x1c + x3d −x1d + x2 + x3c
−x1d − x2 + x3 c x0 − x1 c − x 3 d

14
 1 1 1
  

1 /
1 or Z/2Z /
hx, yi0 /
hψ(x), ψ(y)i0 /
1
 
ψ 

1 /
Zhx, yi /
hx, yi /
hψ(x), ψ(y)i /
1

p 


1 /
p(Zhx, yi) /
hx, yiab /
hψ(x), ψ(y)iab /
1
  
1 1 1

15
 p l x y index
3 5 1+j+k 1 + 2i 4
→3 5 1+j+k 1 + 2j 2
3 11 1+j+k 1 + j − 3k 8
3 17 1+j+k 1 + 4i 16
3 23 1+j+k 1 + 2i + 3j − 3k 48
3 29 1+j+k 5 + 2i 160
3 31 1+j+k 5 + 2i + j − k 80
3 37 1+j+k 1 + 6j 22
3 37 1+j+k 1 + 4i + 2j − 4k 144
3 41 1+j+k 1 + 2j − 6k 32
3 47 1+j+k 5 + 2i + 3j − 3k 1920
3 47 1+j+k 1 + 6i + j − 3k 96
3 73 1+j+k 1 + 8i + 2j + 2k 64
3 73 1+j+k 5 + 4i + 4j − 4k 640
3 73 1+j+k 7 + 4i + 2j − 2k 672
5 17 1 + 2i 3 + 2j + 2k 192
5 19 1 + 2j 3 + 3j + k 24
5 23 1 + 2j 1 + 2i + 3j + 3k 112
5 31 1 + 2i 1 + 2i + j + 5k 224
5 31 1 + 2j 1 + 2i + j + 5k 240
5 31 1 + 2j 3 + 2i + 3j + 3k 1344
5 41 1 + 2i 3 + 4j + 4k 768
5 47 1 + 2i 3 + 2i + 5j − 3k 288
7 11 1 + 2i + j + k 3+j+k 20
7 17 1 + 2i + j + k 3 + 2i − 2j 2736
11 13 1 + j + 3k 3 + 2k 72
11 23 1 + j + 3k 2 + i + 3j − 3k 56
11 23 3+j+k 2 + i + 3j − 3k 336
13 23 3 + 2i 3 + 2i + j + 3k 1152
13 29 3 + 2i 3 + 2i + 4j 384
17 19 3 + 2j + 2k 1 + 4i + j − k 576
16