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Pascal Weil

Publications and source records attributed to Pascal Weil.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
arXiv2025

The finitely generated intersection property in fundamental groups of graphs of groups

A group $G$ is said to satisfy the finitely generated intersection property (f.g.i.p.) if the intersection of any two finitely generated subgroups of $G$ is again finitely generated. The aim of this article is to understand when the fundamental group of a graph of groups has the f.g.i.p. Our main results are general criteria for the f.g.i.p. in graphs of groups which depend on properties of the vertex groups, properties of certain double cosets of the edge groups and the structure of the underlying graph. For acylindrical graphs of groups, we also obtain criteria for the strong f.g.i.p. (s.f.g.i.p.). Our results generalise classical results due to Burns and Cohen on the f.g.i.p. for amalgamated free products and HNN extensions. As a concrete application, we show that a graph of locally quasi-convex hyperbolic groups with virtually $\mathbb{Z}$ edge groups (for instance, a generalised Baumslag--Solitar group) has the f.g.i.p. if and only if it does not contain $F_2\times\mathbb{Z}$ as a subgroup. In addition, we show that this condition is decidable. The main tools we use are the explicit constructions of pullbacks of immersions into a graph of group, obtained by the authors in a previous paper, and a technical condition on coset interactions, introduced in this paper.

math.GR↗
arXiv2025

Pullbacks and intersections in categories of graphs of groups

We develop a categorical framework for studying graphs of groups and their morphisms, with emphasis on pullbacks. More precisely, building on classical work by Serre and Bass, we give an explicit construction of the so-called $\mathbb{A}$-product of two morphisms into a graph of groups $\mathbb{A}$ -- a graph of groups which, within the appropriate categorical setting, captures the intersection of subgroups of the fundamental group of $\mathbb{A}$. We show that, in the category of pointed graphs of groups, pullbacks always exist and correspond precisely to pointed $\mathbb{A}$-products. In contrast, pullbacks do not always exist in the category of unpointed graphs of groups. However, when they do exist, and we show that it is the case, in particular, under certain acylindricity conditions, they are again closely related to $\mathbb{A}$-products. We trace, all along, the parallels with Stallings' classical theory of graph immersions and coverings, in relation to the study of the subgroups of free groups. Our results are useful for studying intersections of subgroups of groups that arise as fundamental groups of graphs of groups. As an example, we carry out an explicit computation of a pullback which results in a classification of the Baumslag--Solitar groups with the finitely generated intersection property.

math.GR↗
arXiv2025

The average-case complexity of the Word Problem for groups of matrices over $\mathbb{Z}$ is linear

We show that the Word Problem in finitely generated subgroups of $\textsf{GL}_d(\mathbb{Z})$ can be solved in linear average-case complexity. This is done under the bit-complexity model, which accounts for the fact that large integers are handled, and under the assumption that the input words are chosen uniformly at random among the words of a given length. Our result generalizes to matrices in $\textsf{GL}_d(R)$, where $R$ is a subring of $\mathbb{C}$, of finite rank over $\mathbb{Z}$.

math.GR↗
arXiv2024

Propositional dynamic logic and asynchronous cascade decompositions for regular trace languages

We propose a local, past-oriented fragment of propositional dynamic logic to reason about concurrent scenarios modelled as Mazurkiewicz traces, and prove it to be expressively complete with respect to regular trace languages. Because of locality, specifications in this logic are efficiently translated into asynchronous automata, in a way that reflects the structure of formulas. In particular, we obtain a new proof of Zielonka's fundamental theorem and we prove that any regular trace language can be implemented by a cascade product of localized asynchronous automata, which essentially operate on a single process. These results refine earlier results by Adsul et al. which involved a larger fragment of past propositional dynamic logic and used Mukund and Sohoni's gossip automaton. Our new results avoid using this automaton, or Zielonka's timestamping mechanism and, in particular, they show how to implement a gossip automaton as a cascade product.

cs.FL↗
arXiv2023

Silhouettes and generic properties of subgroups of the modular group

We show that the probability for a finitely generated subgroup of the modular group, of size $n$, to be almost malnormal or non-parabolic, tends to 0 as $n$ tends to infinity -- where the notion of the size of a subgroup is based on a natural graph-theoretic representation of the subgroup. The proofs of these results rely on the combinatorial and asymptotic study of a natural map, which associates with any finitely generated subgroup of $\textsf{PSL}(2,\mathbb{Z})$ a graph which we call its silhouette, which can be interpreted as a conjugacy class of free finite index subgroups of $\textsf{PSL}(2,\mathbb{Z})$.

math.GR↗
arXiv2023

Random generation of subgroups of the modular group with a fixed isomorphism type

We show how to efficiently count and generate uniformly at random finitely generated subgroups of the modular group $\textsf{PSL}(2,\mathbb{Z})$ of a given isomorphism type. The method to achieve these results relies on a natural map of independent interest, which associates with any finitely generated subgroup of $\textsf{PSL}(2,\mathbb{Z})$ a graph which we call its silhouette, and which can be interpreted as a conjugacy class of free finite index subgroups of $\textsf{PSL}(2,\mathbb{Z})$.

math.GR↗
arXiv2023

The central tree property and algorithmic problems on subgroups of free groups

We study the average case complexity of the uniform membership problem for subgroups of free groups, and we show that it is orders of magnitude smaller than the worst case complexity of the best known algorithms. This applies to subgroups given by a fixed number of generators as well as to subgroups given by an exponential number of generators. The main idea behind this result is to exploit a generic property of tuples of words, called the central tree property. An application is given to the average case complexity of the relative primitivity problem, using Shpilrain's recent algorithm to decide primitivity, whose average case complexity is a constant depending only on the rank of the ambient free group.

math.GR↗
arXiv2021

Asynchronous wreath product and cascade decompositions for concurrent behaviours

We develop new algebraic tools to reason about concurrent behaviours modelled as languages of Mazurkiewicz traces and asynchronous automata. These tools reflect the distributed nature of traces and the underlying causality and concurrency between events, and can be said to support true concurrency. They generalize the tools that have been so efficient in understanding, classifying and reasoning about word languages. In particular, we introduce an asynchronous version of the wreath product operation and we describe the trace languages recognized by such products (the so-called asynchronous wreath product principle). We then propose a decomposition result for recognizable trace languages, analogous to the Krohn-Rhodes theorem, and we prove this decomposition result in the special case of acyclic architectures. Finally, we introduce and analyze two distributed automata-theoretic operations. One, the local cascade product, is a direct implementation of the asynchronous wreath product operation. The other, global cascade sequences, although conceptually and operationally similar to the local cascade product, translates to a more complex asynchronous implementation which uses the gossip automaton of Mukund and Sohoni. This leads to interesting applications to the characterization of trace languages definable in first-order logic: they are accepted by a restricted local cascade product of the gossip automaton and 2-state asynchronous reset automata, and also by a global cascade sequence of 2-state asynchronous reset automata. Over distributed alphabets for which the asynchronous Krohn-Rhodes theorem holds, a local cascade product of such automata is sufficient and this, in turn, leads to the identification of a simple temporal logic which is expressively complete for such alphabets.

cs.FL↗
arXiv2020

Silhouettes and generic properties of subgroups of the modular group

We show how to count and randomly generate finitely generated subgroups of the modular group $\textsf{PSL}(2,\mathbb{Z})$ of a given isomorphism type. We also prove that almost malnormality and non-parabolicity are negligible properties for these subgroups. The combinatorial methods developed to achieve these results bring to light a natural map, which associates with any finitely generated subgroup of $\textsf{PSL}(2,\mathbb{Z})$ a graph which we call its silhouette, and which can be interpreted as a conjugacy class of free finite index subgroups of $\textsf{PSL}(2,\mathbb{Z})$.

math.GR↗
arXiv2020

Wreath/cascade products and related decomposition results for the concurrent setting of Mazurkiewicz traces (extended version)

We develop a new algebraic framework to reason about languages of Mazurkiewicz traces. This framework supports true concurrency and provides a non-trivial generalization of the wreath product operation to the trace setting. A novel local wreath product principle has been established. The new framework is crucially used to propose a decomposition result for recognizable trace languages, which is an analogue of the Krohn-Rhodes theorem. We prove this decomposition result in the special case of acyclic architectures and apply it to extend Kamp's theorem to this setting. We also introduce and analyze distributed automata-theoretic operations called local and global cascade products. Finally, we show that aperiodic trace languages can be characterized using global cascade products of localized and distributed two-state reset automata.

cs.FL↗
arXiv2020

Statistics of subgroups of the modular group

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 $\textsf{PSL}(2,\mathbb{Z})$.

math.GR↗
arXiv2019

On the generalized membership problem in relatively hyperbolic groups

The aim of this short note is to provide a proof of the decidability of the generalized membership problem for relatively quasi-convex subgroups of finitely presented relatively hyperbolic groups, under some reasonably mild conditions on the peripheral structure of these groups. These hypotheses are satisfied, in particular, by toral relatively hyperbolic groups.

math.GR↗
arXiv2018

Covering and separation for logical fragments with modular predicates

For every class $\mathscr{C}$ of word languages, one may associate a decision problem called $\mathscr{C}$-separation. Given two regular languages, it asks whether there exists a third language in $\mathscr{C}$ containing the first language, while being disjoint from the second one. Usually, finding an algorithm deciding $\mathscr{C}$-separation yields a deep insight on $\mathscr{C}$. We consider classes defined by fragments of first-order logic. Given such a fragment, one may often build a larger class by adding more predicates to its signature. In the paper, we investigate the operation of enriching signatures with modular predicates. Our main theorem is a generic transfer result for this construction. Informally, we show that when a logical fragment is equipped with a signature containing the successor predicate, separation for the stronger logic enriched with modular predicates reduces to separation for the original logic. This result actually applies to a more general decision problem, called the covering problem.

cs.LO↗
arXiv2017

Random presentations and random subgroups: a survey

This is a survey of results on random group presentations, and on random subgroups of certain fixed groups. Being a survey, this paper does not contain new results, but it offers a synthetic view of a part of this very active field of research.

math.GR↗
arXiv2015

Generic properties of subgroups of free groups and finite presentations

Asymptotic properties of finitely generated subgroups of free groups, and of finite group presentations, can be considered in several fashions, depending on the way these objects are represented and on the distribution assumed on these representations: here we assume that they are represented by tuples of reduced words (generators of a subgroup) or of cyclically reduced words (relators). Classical models consider fixed size tuples of words (e.g. the few-generator model) or exponential size tuples (e.g. Gromov's density model), and they usually consider that equal length words are equally likely. We generalize both the few-generator and the density models with probabilistic schemes that also allow variability in the size of tuples and non-uniform distributions on words of a given length.Our first results rely on a relatively mild prefix-heaviness hypothesis on the distributions, which states essentially that the probability of a word decreases exponentially fast as its length grows. Under this hypothesis, we generalize several classical results: exponentially generically a randomly chosen tuple is a basis of the subgroup it generates, this subgroup is malnormal and the tuple satisfies a small cancellation property, even for exponential size tuples. In the special case of the uniform distribution on words of a given length, we give a phase transition theorem for the central tree property, a combinatorial property closely linked to the fact that a tuple freely generates a subgroup. We then further refine our results when the distribution is specified by a Markovian scheme, and in particular we give a phase transition theorem which generalizes the classical results on the densities up to which a tuple of cyclically reduced words chosen uniformly at random exponentially generically satisfies a small cancellation property, and beyond which it presents a trivial group.

math.GR↗
arXiv2015

Varieties

This text is devoted to the theory of varieties, which provides an important tool, based in universal algebra, for the classification of regular languages. In the introductory section, we present a number of examples that illustrate and motivate the fundamental concepts. We do this for the most part without proofs, and often without precise definitions, leaving these to the formal development of the theory that begins in Section 2. Our presentation of the theory draws heavily on the work of Gehrke, Grigorieff and Pin (2008) on the equational theory of lattices of regular languages. In the subsequent sections we consider in more detail aspects of varieties that were only briefly evoked in the introduction: Decidability, operations on languages, and characterizations in formal logic.

cs.FL↗
arXiv2014

Stallings graphs for quasi-convex subgroups

We show that one can define and effectively compute Stallings graphs for quasi-convex subgroups of automatic groups (\textit{e.g.} hyperbolic groups or right-angled Artin groups). These Stallings graphs are finite labeled graphs, which are canonically associated with the corresponding subgroups. We show that this notion of Stallings graphs allows a unified approach to many algorithmic problems: some which had already been solved like the generalized membership problem or the computation of a quasi-convexity constant (Kapovich, 1996); and others such as the computation of intersections, the conjugacy or the almost malnormality problems. Our results extend earlier algorithmic results for the more restricted class of virtually free groups. We also extend our construction to relatively quasi-convex subgroups of relatively hyperbolic groups, under certain additional conditions.

math.GR↗