Character rigidity for lattices and commensurators

Abstract

We prove an operator algebraic superrigidity statement for homomorphisms of irreducible lattices, and also their commensurators, in certain higher-rank groups into unitary groups of finite factors. This extends the authors' previous work regarding non-free measure-preserving actions, and also answers a question of Connes for such groups.

Added the hypothesis of compact generation to Theorem 4.2