The Structure of the Three-Dimensional Special Linear Group over a Local Field

Abstract

For K a local field, it is shown that SL3(K) acts on a simply connected two dimensional simplicial complex in which a single face serves as a fundamental domain. From this it follows that SL3(K) is the generalized amalgamated product of three subgroups. Specifically if K is the field of fractions of the discrete valuation ring O, then SL3(K) is the amalgamation of three subgroups isomorphic to SL3(O) along pairwise intersections. This generalizes a theorem of Ihara, which gives the structure of SL2(K) as the amalgamated product of two groups in analogous fashion.