Search arXivSearch

arXiv · math/0107008

Deformation and rigidity of simplicial group actions on trees

Abstract

We study a notion of deformation for simplicial trees with group actions (G-trees). Here G is a fixed, arbitrary group. Two G-trees are related by a deformation if there is a finite sequence of collapse and expansion moves joining them. We show that this relation on the set of G-trees has several characterizations, in terms of dynamics, coarse geometry, and length functions. Next we study the deformation space of a fixed G-tree X. We show that if X is `strongly slide-free' then it is the unique reduced tree in its deformation space. These methods allow us to extend the rigidity theorem of Bass and Lubotzky to trees that are not locally finite. This yields a unique factorization theorem for certain graphs of groups. We apply the theory to generalized Baumslag-Solitar groups and show that many have canonical decompositions. We also prove a quasi-isometric rigidity theorem for strongly slide-free G-trees.

Explore related subjects

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeXRIS

Max Forester. 2002-05-08. Deformation and rigidity of simplicial group actions on trees. https://doi.org/10.2140/gt.2002.6.219

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related papers

Word Measures on Wreath Products II

Every word $w$ in $F_r$, the free group of rank $r$, induces a probability measure (the $w$-measure) on every finite group $G$, by substitution of random $G$-elements in the letters. This measure is determined by its Fourier coefficients: the $w$-expectations $E_w[χ]$ of the irreducible characters of $G$. For every finite group $G$, every stable character $χ$ of $G\wr S_n$ (trace of a finitely generated $FI_G$-module), and every word $w\in F_r$, we approximate $E_w[χ]$ up to an error term of $O(n^{-π(w)})$, where $π(w)$ is the primitivity rank of $w$. This generalizes previous works by Puder, Hanany, Magee and the author. As an application we show that random Schreier graphs of representation-stable actions of $G\wr S_n$ are close-to-optimal expanders. The paper reveals a surprising relation between stable representation theory of wreath products and not-necessarily connected Stallings core graphs.

math.GR

Robust quasi-isometric embeddings inapproximable by Anosov representations

Let $\mathbb{K}=\mathbb{R}$ or $\mathbb{C}$. For all but finitely many $m\in \mathbb{N}$, we exhibit the first examples of non-locally rigid, Zariski dense, robust quasi-isometric embeddings of hyperbolic groups in $\mathsf{SL}_m(\mathbb{K})$ which are not limits of Anosov representations. As a consequence, we show that higher rank analogues of Sullivan's structural stabilty theorem and of the density theorem for Kleinian groups fail for Anosov representations in $\mathsf{SL}_m(\mathbb{C}), m\geq 30$.

math.GR

$\mathcal{C}$-Hereditarily conjugacy separable groups and wreath products

We provide a necessary and sufficient condition for the restricted wreath product $A\wr B$ to be $\mathcal{C}$-hereditarily conjugacy separable where $\mathcal{C}$ is an extension-closed pseudovariety of finite groups. Moreover, we prove that the Grigorchuk group is 2-hereditarily conjugacy separable. As an application, we demonstrate that the lamplighter groups and $\mathbb{Z} \wr \mathbb{Z}$ are hereditarily conjugacy separable (but not $p$-conjugacy separable for any prime $p$). This provides infinitely many new examples of solvable, non-polycyclic hereditarily conjugacy separable groups. Furthermore, we study wreath products of cyclic subgroup separable groups and the derived length of iterated wreath products of solvable groups with an abelian base group and, as an application, we give an explicit construction of non-polycyclic hereditarily conjugacy separable groups of arbitrary derived length as iterated wreath products of abelian groups.

math.GR