No Arabic abstract
We prove a true bootstrapping result for convergence groups acting on a Peano continuum. We give an example of a Kleinian group H which is the amalgamation of two closed hyperbolic surface groups along a simple closed curve. The limit set Lambda H is the closure of a `tree of circles (adjacent circles meeting in pairs of points). We alter the action of H on its limit set such that H no longer acts as a convergence group, but the stabilizers of the circles remain unchanged, as does the action of a circle stabilizer on said circle. This is done by first separating the circles and then gluing them together backwards.
Divergence functions of a metric space estimate the length of a path connecting two points $A$, $B$ at distance $le n$ avoiding a large enough ball around a third point $C$. We characterize groups with non-linear divergence functions as groups having cut-points in their asymptotic cones. By Olshanskii-Osin-Sapir, that property is weaker than the property of having Morse (rank 1) quasi-geodesics. Using our characterization of Morse quasi-geodesics, we give a new proof of the theorem of Farb-Kaimanovich-Masur that states that mapping class groups cannot contain copies of irreducible lattices in semi-simple Lie groups of higher ranks. It also gives a generalization of the result of Birman-Lubotzky-McCarthy about solvable subgroups of mapping class groups not covered by the Tits alternative of Ivanov and McCarthy. We show that any group acting acylindrically on a simplicial tree or a locally compact hyperbolic graph always has many periodic Morse quasi-geodesics (i.e. Morse elements), so its divergence functions are never linear. We also show that the same result holds in many cases when the hyperbolic graph satisfies Bowditchs properties that are weaker than local compactness. This gives a new proof of Behrstocks result that every pseudo-Anosov element in a mapping class group is Morse. On the other hand, we conjecture that lattices in semi-simple Lie groups of higher rank always have linear divergence. We prove it in the case when the $mathbb{Q}$-rank is 1 and when the lattice is $SL_n(mathcal{O}_S)$ where $nge 3$, $S$ is a finite set of valuations of a number field $K$ including all infinite valuations, and $mathcal{O}_S$ is the corresponding ring of $S$-integers.
We examine residual properties of word-hyperbolic groups, adapting a method introduced by Darren Long to study the residual properties of Kleinian groups.
We show that Out(G) is residually finite if G is a one-ended group that is hyperbolic relative to virtually polycyclic subgroups. More generally, if G is one-ended and hyperbolic relative to proper residually finite subgroups, the group of outer automorphisms preserving the peripheral structure is residually finite. We also show that Out(G) is virtually p-residually finite for every prime p if G is one-ended and toral relatively hyperbolic, or infinitely-ended and virtually p-residually finite.
Let $M$ be a compact surface without boundary, and $ngeq 2$. We analyse the quotient group $B_n(M)/Gamma_2(P_n(M))$ of the surface braid group $B_{n}(M)$ by the commutator subgroup $Gamma_2(P_n(M))$ of the pure braid group $P_{n}(M)$. If $M$ is different from the $2$-sphere $mathbb{S}^2$, we prove that $B_n(M)/Gamma_2(P_n(M))$ is isomorphic rho $P_n(M)/Gamma_2(P_n(M)) rtimes_{varphi} S_n$, and that $B_n(M)/Gamma_2(P_n(M))$ is a crystallographic group if and only if $M$ is orientable. If $M$ is orientable, we prove a number of results regarding the structure of $B_n(M)/Gamma_2(P_n(M))$. We characterise the finite-order elements of this group, and we determine the conjugacy classes of these elements. We also show that there is a single conjugacy class of finite subgroups of $B_n(M)/Gamma_2(P_n(M))$ isomorphic either to $S_n$ or to certain Frobenius groups. We prove that crystallographic groups whose image by the projection $B_n(M)/Gamma_2(P_n(M))to S_n$ is a Frobenius group are not Bieberbach groups. Finally, we construct a family of Bieberbach subgroups $tilde{G}_{n,g}$ of $B_n(M)/Gamma_2(P_n(M))$ of dimension $2ng$ and whose holonomy group is the finite cyclic group of order $n$, and if $mathcal{X}_{n,g}$ is a flat manifold whose fundamental group is $tilde{G}_{n,g}$, we prove that it is an orientable Kahler manifold that admits Anosov diffeomorphisms.
For an element in $BS(1,n) = langle t,a | tat^{-1} = a^n rangle$ written in the normal form $t^{-u}a^vt^w$ with $u,w geq 0$ and $v in mathbb{Z}$, we exhibit a geodesic word representing the element and give a formula for its word length with respect to the generating set ${t,a}$. Using this word length formula, we prove that there are sets of elements of positive density of positive, negative and zero conjugation curvature, as defined by Bar Natan, Duchin and Kropholler.