Abstract:
The family of high rank arithmetic groups is a class of groups which is playing an important role in various areas of mathematics. It includes SL(n,Z), for n>2, SL(n, Z[1/p] ) for n>1, their finite index subgroups and many more. A number of remarkable results about them have been proven including; Mostow rigidity, Margulis Super rigidity and the Quasi-isometric rigidity.
We will talk about a new type of rigidity: "first order rigidity". Namely if D is such a non-uniform characteristic zero arithmetic group and E a finitely generated group which is elementary equivalent to it ( i.e., the same first order theory in the sense of model theory) then E is isomorphic to D.
This stands in contrast with Zlil Sela's remarkable work which implies that the free groups, surface groups and hyperbolic groups ( many of which are low-rank arithmetic groups) have many non isomorphic finitely generated groups which are elementary equivalent to them.