Compact Clifford-Klein forms of symmetric spaces -- revisited

Abstract

This article discusses the existence problem of a compact quotient of a symmetric space by a properly discontinuous group with emphasis on the non-Riemannian case. Discontinuous groups are not always abundant in a homogeneous space $G/H$ if $H$ is non-compact. The first half of the article elucidates general machinery to study discontinuous groups for $G/H$, followed by the most update and complete list of symmetric spaces with/without compact quotients. In the second half, as applications of general theory, we prove: (i) there exists a 15 dimensional compact pseudo-Riemannian manifold of signature $(7,8)$ with constant curvature, (ii) there exists a compact quotient of the complex sphere of dimension 1, 3 and 7, and (iii) there exists a compact quotient of the tangential space form of signature $(p,q)$ if and only if $p$ is smaller than the Hurwitz-Radon number of $q$.