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Larsen Louder

Publications and source records attributed to Larsen Louder.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
arXiv2024

Uniform negative immersions and the coherence of one-relator groups

Previously, the authors proved that the presentation complex of a one-relator group $G$ satisfies a geometric condition called negative immersions if every two-generator, one-relator subgroup of $G$ is free. Here, we prove that one-relator groups with negative immersions are coherent, answering a question of Baumslag in this case. Other strong constraints on the finitely generated subgroups also follow such as, for example, the co-Hopf property. The main new theorem strengthens negative immersions to uniform negative immersions, using a rationality theorem proved with linear-programming techniques.

math.GR↗
arXiv2023

Strongly convergent unitary representations of limit groups

We prove that all finitely generated fully residually free groups (limit groups) have a sequence of finite dimensional unitary representations that `strongly converge' to the regular representation of the group. The corresponding statement for finitely generated free groups was proved by Haagerup and Thorbjørnsen in 2005. In fact, we can take the unitary representations to arise from representations of the group by permutation matrices, as was proved for free groups by Bordenave and Collins. As for Haagerup and Thorbjørnsen, the existence of such representations implies that for any non-abelian limit group, the Ext-invariant of the reduced $C^{*}$-algebra is not a group (has non-invertible elements) An important special case of our main theorem is in application to the fundamental groups of closed orientable surfaces of genus at least two. In this case, our results can be used as an input to the methods previously developed by the authors of the appendix. The output is a variation of our previous proof of Buser's 1984 conjecture that there exist a sequence of closed hyperbolic surfaces with genera tending to infinity and first eigenvalue of the Laplacian tending to $\frac{1}{4}$. In this variation of the proof, the systoles of the surfaces are bounded away from zero and the surfaces can be taken to be arithmetic.

math.GR↗
arXiv2021

Negative immersions for one-relator groups

We prove a freeness theorem for low-rank subgroups of one-relator groups. Let $F$ be a free group, and let $w\in F$ be a non-primitive element. The primitivity rank of $w$, $π(w)$, is the smallest rank of a subgroup of $F$ containing $w$ as an imprimitive element. Then any subgroup of the one-relator group $G=F/\langle\langle w\rangle\rangle$ generated by fewer than $π(w)$ elements is free. In particular, if $π(w)>2$ then $G$ doesn't contain any Baumslag--Solitar groups. The hypothesis that $π(w)>2$ implies that the presentation complex $X$ of the one-relator group $G$ has negative immersions: if a compact, connected complex $Y$ immerses into $X$ and $χ(Y)\geq 0$ then $Y$ is Nielsen equivalent to a graph. The freeness theorem is a consequence of a dependence theorem for free groups, which implies several classical facts about free and one-relator groups, including Magnus' Freiheitssatz and theorems of Lyndon, Baumslag, Stallings and Duncan--Howie. The dependence theorem strengthens Wise's $w$-cycles conjecture, proved independently by the authors and Helfer--Wise, which implies that the one-relator complex $X$ has non-positive immersions when $π(w)>1$.

math.GR↗
arXiv2020

One-relator groups with torsion are coherent

We show that any one-relator group $G=F/\langle\langle w\rangle\rangle$ with torsion is coherent -- i.e., that every finitely generated subgroup of $G$ is finitely presented -- answering a 1974 question of Baumslag in this case.

math.GR↗
arXiv2016

Zariski Closures and Subgroup Separability

The main result of this article is a refinement of the well-known subgroup separability results of Hall and Scott for free and surface groups. We show that for any finitely generated subgroup, there is a finite dimensional representation of the free or surface group that separates the subgroup in the induced Zariski topology. As a corollary, we establish a polynomial upper bound on the size of the quotients used to separate a finitely generated subgroup in a free or surface group.

math.GR↗
arXiv2016

Decision problems, complexity, traces, and representations

In this article, we study connections between representation theory and efficient solutions to the conjugacy problem on finitely generated groups. The main focus is on the conjugacy problem in conjugacy separable groups, where we measure efficiency in terms of the size of the quotients required to distinguish a distinct pair of conjugacy classes.

math.GR↗
arXiv2015

Strong accessibility for finitely presented groups

A hierarchy of a group is a rooted tree of groups obtained by iteratively passing to vertex groups of graphs of groups decompositions. We define a (relative) slender JSJ hierarchy for (almost) finitely presented groups and show that it is finite, provided the group in question doesn't contain any slender subgroups with infinite dihedral quotients and satisfies an ascending chain condition on certain chains of subgroups of edge groups. As a corollary, slender JSJ hierarchies of hyperbolic groups which are (virtually) without $2$--torsion and finitely presented subgroups of SL(n,Z) are both finite.

math.GR↗
arXiv2014

Stackings and the W-cycle conjecture

We prove Wise's $W$-cycles conjecture. Consider a compact graph $Γ'$ immering into another graph $Γ$. For any immersed cycle $Λ:S^1\to Γ$, we consider the map $Λ'$ from the circular components $\mathbb{S}$ of the pullback to $Γ'$. Unless $Λ'$ is reducible, the degree of the covering map $\mathbb{S}\to S^1$ is bounded above by minus the Euler characteristic of $Γ'$. As a consequence, we obtain a homological version of coherence for one-relator groups.

math.GR↗
arXiv2013

Simple loop conjecture for limit groups

There are noninjective maps from surface groups to limit groups that don't kill any simple closed curves. As a corollary, there are noninjective all-loxodromic representations of surface groups to SL(2,C) that don't kill any simple closed curves, answering a question of Minsky. There are also examples, for any k, of noninjective all-loxodromic representations of surface groups killing no curves with self intersection number at most k.

math.GR↗
arXiv2013

Three techniques for obtaining algebraic circle packings

The main purpose of this article is to demonstrate three techniques for proving algebraicity statements about circle packings. We give proofs of three related theorems: (1) that every finite simple planar graph is the contact graph of a circle packing on the Riemann sphere, equivalently in the complex plane, all of whose tangency points, centers, and radii are algebraic, (2) that every flat conformal torus which admits a circle packing whose contact graph triangulates the torus has algebraic modulus, and (3) that if R is a compact Riemann surface of genus at least 2, having constant curvature -1, which admits a circle packing whose contact graph triangulates R, then R is isomorphic to the quotient of the hyperbolic plane by a subgroup of PSL_2(real algebraic numbers). The statement (1) is original, while (2) and (3) have been previously proved in the Ph.D. thesis of McCaughan. Our first proof technique is to apply Tarski's Theorem, a result from model theory, which says that if an elementary statement in the theory of real-closed fields is true over one real-closed field, then it is true over any real closed field. This technique works to prove (1) and (2). Our second proof technique is via an algebraicity result of Thurston on finite co-volume discrete subgroups of the orientation-preserving-isometry group of hyperbolic 3-space. This technique works to prove (1). Our first and second techniques had not previously been applied in this area. Our third and final technique is via a lemma in real algebraic geometry, and was previously used by McCaughan to prove (2) and (3). We show that in fact it may be used to prove (1) as well.

math.GT↗
arXiv2012

Hyperbolic towers and independent generic sets in the theory of free groups

We use hyperbolic towers to answer some model theoretic questions around the generic type in the theory of free groups. We show that all the finitely generated models of this theory realize the generic type $p_0$, but that there is a finitely generated model which omits $p_0^{(2)}$. We exhibit a finitely generated model in which there are two maximal independent sets of realizations of the generic type which have different cardinalities. We also show that a free product of homogeneous groups is not necessarily homogeneous.

math.LO↗
arXiv2012

Diameter and spectral gap for planar graphs

We prove that the spectral gap of a finite planar graph $X$ is bounded by $λ_1(X)\le C(\frac{\log(\diam X)}{\diam X})^2$ where $C$ depends only on the degree of $X$. We then give a sequence of such graphs showing the the above estimate cannot be improved. This yields a negative answer to a question of Benjamini and Curien on the mixing times of the simple random walk on planar graphs.

math.GT↗
arXiv2009

Graphs of subgroups of free groups

We construct an efficient model for graphs of finitely generated subgroups of free groups. Using this we give a very short proof of Dicks's reformulation of the strengthened Hanna Neumann Conjecture as the Amalgamated Graph Conjecture. In addition, we answer a question of Culler and Shalen on ranks of intersections in free groups. The latter has also been done independently by R. P. Kent IV.

math.GR↗
arXiv2008

Krull dimension for limit groups IV: Adjoining roots

This is the fourth and last paper in a sequence on Krull dimension for limit groups, answering a question of Z. Sela. In it we finish the proof, analyzing limit groups obtained from other limit groups by adjoining roots. We generalize our work on Scott complexity and adjoining roots from the previous paper in the sequence to the category of limit groups.

math.GR↗
arXiv2008

Krull dimension for limit groups I: Bounding strict resolutions

This is the first paper in a sequence on Krull dimension for limit groups, answering a question of Z. Sela. In this paper we show that strict resolutions of a fixed limit group have uniformly bounded length. The upper bound plays two roles in our approach. First, it provides upper bounds for heights of analysis lattices of limit groups, and second, it enables the construction of \jsj--respecting sequences in the sequel.

math.GR↗