Effective discreteness radius of stabilisers for stationary actions

We prove an effective variant of the Kazhdan-Margulis theorem generalized to stationary actions of semisimple groups over local fields: the probability that the stabilizer of a random point admits a non-trivial intersection with a small $r$-neighborhood of the identity is at most $beta r^delta$ for some explicit constants $beta, delta > 0$ depending only the group. This is a consequence of a key convolution inequality. We deduce that vanishing at infinity of injectivity radius implies finiteness of volume. Further applications are the compactness of the space of discrete stationary random subgroups and a novel proof of the fact that all lattices in semisimple groups are weakly cocompact.

Virtually free groups are stable in permutations

We prove that finitely generated virtually free groups are stable in permutations. As an application, we show that almost-periodic almost-automorphisms of labelled graphs are close to periodic automorphisms.

Characters of the group $mathrm{EL}_d (R)$ for a commutative Noetherian ring $R$

Let $R$ be a commutative Noetherian ring with unit. We classify the characters of the group $mathrm{EL}_d (R)$ provided that $d$ is greater than the stable range of the ring $R$. It follows that every character of $mathrm{EL}_d (R)$ is induced from a finite dimensional representation. Towards our main result we classify $mathrm{EL}_d (R)$-invariant probability measures on the Pontryagin dual group of $R^d$.

Uncountably many permutation stable groups

In a 1937 paper B.H. Neumann constructed an uncountable family of $2$-generated groups. We prove that all of his groups are permutation stable by analyzing the structure of their invariant random subgroups.

Infinitely presented stable groups and invariant random subgroups of metabelian groups

We prove that all invariant random subgroups of the lamplighter group $L$ are co-sofic. It follows that $L$ is permutation stable, providing an example of an infinitely presented such a group. Our proof applies more generally to all permutational wreath products of finitely generated abelian groups. We rely on the pointwise ergodic theorem for amenable groups.

Surface groups are flexibly stable

We show that surface groups are flexibly stable in permutations. Our method is purely geometric and relies on an analysis of branched covers of hyperbolic surfaces. Along the way we establish a quantitative variant of the LERF property for surface groups which may be of independent interest.

Critical exponents of invariant random subgroups in negative curvature

Let $X$ be a proper geodesic Gromov hyperbolic metric space and let $G$ be a cocompact group of isometries of $X$ admitting a uniform lattice. Let $d$ be the Hausdorff dimension of the Gromov boundary $partial X$. We define the critical exponent $delta(mu)$ of any discrete invariant random subgroup $mu$ of the locally compact group $G$ and show that $delta(mu) > frac{d}{2}$ in general and that $delta(mu) = d$ if $mu$ is of divergence type. Whenever $G$ is a rank-one simple Lie group with Kazhdans property $(T)$ it follows that an ergodic invariant random subgroup of divergence type is a lattice. One of our main tools is a maximal ergodic theorem for actions of hyperbolic groups due to Bowen and Nevo.

Edge Kempe equivalence of regular graph covers

Let $G$ be a finite $d$-regular graph with a proper edge coloring. An edge Kempe switch is a new proper edge coloring of $G$ obtained by switching the two colors along some bi-chromatic cycle. We prove that any other edge coloring can be obtained by performing finitely many edge Kempe switches, provided that $G$ is replaced with a suitable finite covering graph. The required covering degree is bounded above by a constant depending only on $d$.

Invariant random subgroups over non-Archimedean local fields

Let $G$ be a higher rank semisimple linear algebraic group over a non-Archimedean local field. The simplicial complexes corresponding to any sequence of pairwise non-conjugate irreducible lattices in $G$ are Benjamini-Schramm convergent to the Bruhat-Tits building. Convergence of the relative Plancherel measures and normalized Betti numbers follows. This extends the work of Abert, Bergeron, Biringer, Gelander, Nokolov, Raimbault and Samet from real Lie groups to linear groups over arbitrary local fields. Along the way, various results concerning Invariant Random Subgroups and in particular a variant of the classical Borel density theorem are also extended.

On Benjamini--Schramm limits of congruence subgroups

Every sequence of orbifolds corresponding to pairwise non-conjugate congruence lattices in a higher rank semisimple group over local fields of zero characteristic is Benjamini--Schramm convergent to the universal cover.