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Semigroups containing proximal linear maps

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Abstract

A linear automorphism of a finite dimensional real vector spaceV is calledproximal if it has a unique eigenvalue—counting multiplicities—of maximal modulus. Goldsheid and Margulis have shown that if a subgroupG of GL(V) contains a proximal element then so does every Zariski dense subsemigroupH ofG, providedV considered as aG-module is strongly irreducible. We here show thatH contains a finite subsetM such that for everyg∈GL(V) at least one of the elements γg, γ∈M, is proximal. We also give extensions and refinements of this result in the following directions: a quantitative version of proximality, reducible representations, several eigenvalues of maximal modulus.

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Partially supported by NSF grant DMS 9204-720.

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Abels, H., Margulis, G.A. & Soifer, G.A. Semigroups containing proximal linear maps. Israel J. Math. 91, 1–30 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02761637

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