Short proofs of theorems of Malyutin and Margulis
  The Ghys-Margulis alternative asserts that a subgroup $G$ of homeomorphisms of the circle which does not contain a free subgroup on two generators must admit an invariant probability measure. Malyutin's theorem classifies minimal actions of $G$. We present a short proof of Malyutin's theorem and then deduce Margulis' theorem which confirms the G-M alternative. The basic ideas are borrowed from the original work of Malyutin but the use of the apparatus of the enveloping semigroup enables us to shorten the proof considerably. 
Eli Glasner
math.DS math.GR