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We note a parallel between some ideas of stable model theory and certain topics in finite combinatorics related to the sum-product phenomenon. For a simple linear group G, we show that a finite subset X with |X X ^{-1} X |/ |X| bounded is close to a finite subgroup, or else to a subset of a proper algebraic subgroup of G. We also find a connection with Lie groups, and use it to obtain some consequences suggestive of topological nilpotence. Combining these methods with Gromovs proof, we show that a finitely generated group with an approximate subgroup containing any given finite set must be nilpotent-by-finite. Model-theoretically we prove the independence theorem and the stabilizer theorem in a general first-order setting.
We count the finitely generated subgroups of the modular group $textsf{PSL}(2,mathbb{Z})$. More precisely: each such subgroup $H$ can be represented by its Stallings graph $Gamma(H)$, we consider the number of vertices of $Gamma(H)$ to be the size of $H$ and we count the subgroups of size $n$. Since an index $n$ subgroup has size $n$, our results generalize the known results on the enumeration of the finite index subgroups of $textsf{PSL}(2,mathbb{Z})$. We give asymptotic equivalents for the number of finitely generated subgroups of $textsf{PSL}(2,mathbb{Z})$, as well as of the number of finite index subgroups, free subgroups and free finite index subgroups. We also give the expected value of the isomorphism type of a size $n$ subgroup and prove a large deviations statement concerning this value. Similar results are proved for finite index and for free subgroups. Finally, we show how to efficiently generate uniformly at random a size $n$ subgroup (resp. finite index subgroup, free subgroup) of $textsf{PSL}(2,mathbb{Z})$.
We investigate interactions between Ramsey theory, topological dynamics, and model theory. We introduce various Ramsey-like properties for first order theories and characterize them in terms of the appropriate dynamical properties of the theories in question (such as [extreme] amenability of a theory or some properties of the associated Ellis semigroups). Then we relate them to profiniteness and triviality of the Ellis groups of first order theories. In particular, we find various criteria for [pro]finiteness and for triviality of the Ellis group of a given theory from which we obtain wide classes of examples of theories with [pro]finite or trivial Ellis groups. As an initial motivation, we note that profiniteness of the Ellis group of a theory implies that the Kim-Pillay Galois group of this theory is also profinite, which in turn is equivalent to the equality of the Shelah and Kim-Pillay strong types. We also find several concrete examples illustrating the lack of implications between some fundamental properties. In the appendix, we give a full computation of the Ellis group of the theory of the random hypergraph with one binary and one 4-ary relation. This example shows that the assumption of NIP in the version of Newelskis conjecture for amenable theories (proved in [16]) cannot be dropped.
In 2003, Kechris, Pestov and Todorcevic showed that the structure of certain separable metric spaces - called ultrahomogeneous - is closely related to the combinatorial behavior of the class of their finite metric spaces. The purpose of the present paper is to explore the different aspects of this connection.
This article discusses some recent trends in Ramsey theory on infinite structures. Trees and their Ramsey theory have been vital to these investigations. The main ideas behind the authors recent method of trees with coding nodes are presented, showing how they can be useful both for coding structures with forbidden configurations as well as those with none. Using forcing as a tool for finite searches has allowed the development of Ramsey theory on such trees, leading to solutions for finite big Ramsey degrees of Henson graphs as well as infinite dimensional Ramsey theory of copies of the Rado graph. Possible future directions for applications of these methods are discussed.
We develop the foundations of a geometric theory of countably-infinite approximate groups, extending work of Bjorklund and the second-named author. Our theory is based on the notion of a quasi-isometric quasi-action (qiqac) of an approximate group on a metric space. More specifically, we introduce a geometric notion of finite generation for approximate group and prove that every geometrically finitely-generated approximate group admits a geometric qiqac on a proper geodesic metric space. We then show that all such spaces are quasi-isometric, hence can be used to associate a canonical QI type with every geometrically finitely-generated approximate group. This in turn allows us to define geometric invariants of approximate groups using QI invariants of metric spaces. Among the invariants we consider are asymptotic dimension, finiteness properties, numbers of ends and growth type. A particular focus is on qiqacs on hyperbolic spaces. Our strongest results are obtained for approximate groups which admit a geometric qiqac on a proper geodesic hyperbolic space. For such ``hyperbolic approximate groups we establish a number of fundamental properties in analogy with the case of hyperbolic groups. For example, we show that their asymptotic dimension is one larger than the topological dimension of their Gromov boundary and that - under some mild assumption of being ``non-elementary - they have exponential growth and act minimally on their Gromov boundary. We also study convex cocompact qiqacs on hyperbolic spaces. Using the theory of Morse boundaries, we extend some of our results concerning qiqacs on hyperbolic spaces to qiqacs on proper geodesic metric spaces with non-trivial Morse boundary.