Polynomial growth and subgroups of $\mathrm{Out}(F_{\tt n})$

Abstract

This paper, which is the last of a series of three papers, studies dynamical properties of elements of $\mathrm{Out}(F_{\tt n})$, the outer automorphism group of a nonabelian free group $F_{\tt n}$. We prove that, for every subgroup $H$ of $\mathrm{Out}(F_{\tt n})$, there exists an element $\phi \in H$ such that, for every element $g$ of $F_{\tt n}$, the conjugacy class $[g]$ has polynomial growth under iteration of $\phi$ if and only if $[g]$ has polynomial growth under iteration of every element of $H$.