On the cohomology of Kaehler groups

Abstract

This is the geometric part of two papers on the cohomology of Kaehler groups. Using non-Abelian Hodge theory we show that if a finitely presented group with an unbounded complex linear morphism is the fundamental group of a compact Kaehler manifold then its second or its fourth Betti number does not vanish. Combined with our first paper this shows that a cocompact lattice in a real simple Lie group G of sufficiently large real rank is Kaehler if and only if G is of Hermitian type (a conjecture of Carlson and Toledo).