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Let G be a subgroup of $E(n) = \mathbb{R}^n \rtimes O(n)$(the rigid motions of $\mathbb{R}^n$ ) with orbit space as a point.

Example: the group of all translations of $\mathbb{R}^n$ and of course any group containing it.

Q: 1.Are there other examples of G not containing all the translations? If such G exist , How many different types are them?

2 .What about the general propositions of these groups?

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    $\begingroup$ The group of motions of the 3-space generated by horizontal translation and a 1-parameter subgroup of vertical screwings is simply transitive but does not contain all vertical translations. $\endgroup$
    – YCor
    Commented Feb 1, 2014 at 15:50
  • $\begingroup$ more generally, such a group is always a semidirect product $\mathbf{R}^k\rtimes (\mathbf{R}^\ell\times K)$, the action being by isometries. $\endgroup$
    – YCor
    Commented Feb 1, 2014 at 20:27

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In the simply-transitive case, there is the following result.

Theorem. Let $G$ be a simply-transitive group of affine rigid motions acting on a finite dimensional Euclidean space $V$. Then $G$ is a connected solvable group, and there exists an orthogonal decomposition $V=U\oplus W$, where $U\neq0$, and a homomorphism $\varphi:V\to \mathfrak{so}(V)$ such that $\ker\varphi=U$, $\mathrm{im}\,\varphi$ is an Abelian subalgebra of $\mathfrak{so}(V)$ annihilating $W$ and preserving $U$, and \begin{equation} \mathfrak g=\{\tau_v+\varphi(v):v\in V\}, \end{equation} where $\tau_v:V\to V$ denotes translation by $v$.

Proof. $G$ is diffeomorphic to $V$, thus connected and contractible. By The Levi-Malcev theorem, it is solvable.

Consider the homomorphism $\pi:G\to SO(V)$ given by $\pi(g)=g_*$. Then $\mathfrak n=\ker d\pi$ is an ideal of $\mathfrak g$ and $\pi(G)$ is a solvable subgroup of $SO(V)$. The closure $\overline{\pi(G)}$ in $SO(V)$ is a compact solvable group, hence, Abelian. It follows that $\pi(G)$ is Abelian.

The map $\theta:\mathfrak g\to V$, $\theta(X)=X\cdot 0$, is an isomorphism of vector spaces. Let $U=\theta(\mathfrak n)$ and $W=U^\perp$. If $U=0$, then $\mathfrak n=0$ and $d\pi[\mathfrak g]$ is an Abelian subalgebra of $\mathfrak{so}(V)$ of dimension $\dim\mathfrak g=\dim V$. However, the rank of $\mathfrak{so}(V)$ is at most $\frac12\dim V$, so this cannot be. It follows that $U\neq0$.

Set $\varphi=d\pi\circ\theta^{-1}$. Note that $\varphi$ is a homomorphism between the Abelian Lie algebras $V$ and $d\pi[\mathfrak g]$. It is also clear that $\mathfrak g$ has the required form. Of course, $\ker\varphi=\theta(\ker d\pi)=\theta(\mathfrak n)=U$.

Let $u\in U$, $w\in W$. Then $$[\tau_w+\varphi(w),\tau_u]=\tau_{\varphi(w)u} \in\mathfrak g, $$ so $\varphi(w)u\in \ker\varphi=U$. This shows that $\mathrm{im}\,\varphi$ preserves $U$ and, hence, the orthogonal decomposition $ V=U\oplus W$. Finally, if $w$, $w'\in W$, then $[\varphi(w),\varphi(w')]=0$, and so $$ [\tau_w+\varphi(w),\tau_{w'}+\varphi(w')]=\tau_{\varphi(w)w'} -\tau_{\varphi(w')w}=\tau_{\varphi(w)w'-\varphi(w')w} \in\mathfrak g. $$ This shows that $\varphi(w)w'-\varphi(w')w\in W\cap U=0$. Now the trilinear form on $W$ $$ (w,w',w'')\mapsto \langle\varphi(w)w',w''\rangle $$ is symmetric in the first two variables and skew-symmetric in the last two variables, hence, identically zero. This proves that $\varphi(W)W=0$ and completes the proof of the theorem. q.e.d.

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  • $\begingroup$ $\mathfrak g=\{\tau_v+\varphi(v):v\in V$ Is this implies G consists all pure translations in U which is not empty? In the affine motion case,the conjecture that "any nilpotent simply transitive group of affine motions must contain a one-parameter group of pure translations in its centre" was verified by JOHN SCHEUNEMAN in "TRANSLATIONS IN CERTAIN GROUPS OF AFFINE MOTIONS",and an counterexample by D. Fried occured in "Distality, completeness and affine structures" Its confusing. Who is right? Is there any reference of simply transitive group of Rigid Motion rather than affine motion? $\endgroup$
    – David Ong
    Commented Feb 4, 2014 at 12:40
  • $\begingroup$ The conjecture was came from " Simply transitive groups of affine motions" of L. Auslander. $\endgroup$
    – David Ong
    Commented Feb 4, 2014 at 12:45
  • $\begingroup$ @qswang: I am no expert on this matter, but a quick search in the literature seems to indicate that the claim of Scheuneman to have proved the Auslander conjecture in full was incorrect, so indeed Fried found a counterexample, namely, a simply-transitivve affine action of a 3-step nilpotent 4-dimensional connected and simply-connected Lie group in which the only element acting as a pure translation is the identity. Nevertheless, the conjecture has been shown to hold for some classes of groups, for instance in dimension $3$ (by Fried and Goldman). $\endgroup$ Commented Feb 4, 2014 at 22:33

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