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Laurent Bartholdi

Publications and source records attributed to Laurent Bartholdi.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
arXiv2018

Algorithmic aspects of branched coverings III/V. Erasing maps, orbispaces, and the Birman exact sequence

Let $\tilde f\colon(S^2,\tilde A)\to(S^2,\tilde A)$ be a Thurston map and let $M(\tilde f)$ be its mapping class biset: isotopy classes rel $\tilde A$ of maps obtained by pre- and post-composing $\tilde f$ by the mapping class group of $(S^2,\tilde A)$. Let $A\subseteq\tilde A$ be an $\tilde f$-invariant subset, and let $f\colon(S^2,A)\to(S^2,A)$ be the induced map. We give an analogue of the Birman short exact sequence: just as the mapping class group $\mathrm{Mod}(S^2,\tilde A)$ is an iterated extension of $\mathrm{Mod}(S^2,A)$ by fundamental groups of punctured spheres, $M(\tilde f)$ is an iterated extension of $M(f)$ by the dynamical biset of $f$. Thurston equivalence of Thurston maps classically reduces to a conjugacy problem in mapping class bisets. Our short exact sequence of mapping class bisets allows us to reduce in polynomial time the conjugacy problem in $M(\tilde f)$ to that in $M(f)$. In case $\tilde f$ is geometric (either expanding or doubly covered by a hyperbolic torus endomorphism) we show that the dynamical biset $B(f)$ together with a "portrait of bisets" induced by $\tilde A$ is a complete conjugacy invariant of $\tilde f$. Along the way, we give a complete description of bisets of $(2,2,2,2)$-maps as a crossed product of bisets of torus endomorphisms by the cyclic group of order $2$, and we show that non-cyclic orbisphere bisets have no automorphism. We finally give explicit, efficient algorithms that solve the conjugacy and centralizer problems for bisets of expanding or torus maps.

math.GR↗
arXiv2017

Groups of intermediate growth

I describe a class of groups acting on rooted trees. The original claim was that all have intermediate word growth between polynomial and exponential. The argument constructs a functional equation on the growth formal power series, and derives the growth properties from its analytical behaviour. Unfortunately, there are substantial mistakes in the proofs, so the main claims should be considered unsettled. In particular, it is still an open problem whether the growth of the Gupta-Sidki group is intermediate or exponential.

math.GR↗
arXiv2017

Linear cellular automata, duality and sofic groups

We produce for arbitrary non-amenable group $G$ and field $K$ a non-pre-injective, surjective linear cellular automaton. This answers positively Open Problem (OP-14) in Ceccherini-Silberstein and Coornaert's monograph "Cellular Automata and Groups". We also reprove in a direct manner, for linear cellular automata, the result by Capobianco, Kari and Taati that cellular automata over sofic groups are injective if and only if they are post-surjective. These results come from considerations related to matrices over group rings: we prove that a matrix's kernel and the image of its adjoint are mutual orthogonals of each other. This gives rise to a notion of "dual cellular automaton", which is pre-injective if and only if the original cellular automaton is surjective, and is injective if and only if the original cellular automaton is post-surjective.

math.GR↗
arXiv2017

Algorithmic aspects of branched coverings

This is the announcement, and the long summary, of a series of articles on the algorithmic study of Thurston maps. We describe branched coverings of the sphere in terms of group-theoretical objects called bisets, and develop a theory of decompositions of bisets. We introduce a canonical "Levy" decomposition of an arbitrary Thurston map into homeomorphisms, metrically-expanding maps and maps doubly covered by torus endomorphisms. The homeomorphisms decompose themselves into finite-order and pseudo-Anosov maps, and the expanding maps decompose themselves into rational maps. As an outcome, we prove that it is decidable when two Thurston maps are equivalent. We also show that the decompositions above are computable, both in theory and in practice.

cs.CC↗
arXiv2017

Amenability of groups and $G$-sets

This text surveys classical and recent results in the field of amenability of groups, from a combinatorial standpoint. It has served as the support of courses at the University of Göttingen and the École Normale Supérieure. The goals of the text are (1) to be as self-contained as possible, so as to serve as a good introduction for newcomers to the field; (2) to stress the use of combinatorial tools, in collaboration with functional analysis, probability etc., with discrete groups in focus; (3) to consider from the beginning the more general notion of amenable actions; (4) to describe recent classes of examples, and in particular groups acting on Cantor sets and topological full groups.

math.GR↗
arXiv2017

Decidability problems in automaton semigroups

We consider decidability problems in self-similar semigroups, and in particular in semigroups of automatic transformations of $X^*$. We describe algorithms answering the word problem, and bound its complexity under some additional assumptions. We give a partial algorithm that decides in a group generated by an automaton, given $x,y$, whether an Engel identity ($[\cdots[[x,y],y],\dots,y]=1$ for a long enough commutator sequence) is satisfied. This algorithm succeeds, importantly, in proving that Grigorchuk's $2$-group is not Engel. We consider next the problem of recognizing Engel elements, namely elements $y$ such that the map $x\mapsto[x,y]$ attracts to $\{1\}$. Although this problem seems intractable in general, we prove that it is decidable for Grigorchuk's group: Engel elements are precisely those of order at most $2$. We include, in the text, a large number of open problems. Our computations were implemented using the package "Fr" within the computer algebra system "Gap".

math.GR↗
arXiv2016

Algorithmic aspects of branched coverings IV/V. Expanding maps

Thurston maps are branched self-coverings of the sphere whose critical points have finite forward orbits. We give combinatorial and algebraic characterizations of Thurston maps that are isotopic to expanding maps as "Levy-free" maps and as maps with "contracting biset". We prove that every Thurston map decomposes along a unique minimal multicurve into Levy-free and finite-order pieces, and this decomposition is algorithmically computable. Each of these pieces admits a geometric structure. We apply these results to matings of post-critically finite polynomials, extending a criterion by Mary Rees and Tan Lei: they are expanding if and only if they do not admit a cycle of periodic rays.

math.DS↗
arXiv2016

Amenability of groups is characterized by Myhill's Theorem

We prove a converse to Myhill's "Garden-of-Eden" theorem and obtain in this manner a characterization of amenability in terms of cellular automata: "A group $G$ is amenable if and only if every cellular automaton with carrier $G$ that has gardens of Eden also has mutually erasable patterns." This answers a question by Schupp, and solves a conjecture by Ceccherini-Silberstein, Machì and Scarabotti. An appendix by Dawid Kielak proves that group rings without zero divisors are Ore domains precisely when the group is amenable, answering a conjecture attributed to Guba.

cs.FL↗
arXiv2016

Poisson-Furstenberg boundary and growth of groups

We study the Poisson-Furstenberg boundary of random walks on permutational wreath products. We give a sufficient condition for a group to admit a symmetric measure of finite first moment with non-trivial boundary, and show that this criterion is useful to establish exponential word growth of groups. We construct groups of exponential growth such that all finitely supported (not necessarily symmetric, possibly degenerate) random walks on these groups have trivial boundary. This gives a negative answer to a question of Kaimanovich and Vershik.

math.GR↗
arXiv2016

The rational homology of the outer automorphism group of $F_7$

We compute the homology groups $H_*(\operatorname{Out}(F_7);\mathbb Q)$ of the outer automorphism group of the free group of rank $7$. We produce in this manner the first rational homology classes of $\operatorname{Out}(F_n)$ that are neither constant ($*=0$) nor Morita classes ($*=2n-4$).

math.GR↗
arXiv2015

Algorithmic aspects of branched coverings I. Van Kampen's Theorem for bisets

We develop a general theory of "bisets": sets with two commuting group actions. They naturally encode topological correspondences. Just as van Kampen's theorem decomposes into a graph of groups the fundamental group of a space given with a cover, we prove analogously that the biset of a correspondence decomposes into a "graph of bisets": a graph with bisets at its vertices, given with some natural maps. The "fundamental biset" of the graph of bisets recovers the original biset. We apply these results to decompose the biset of a Thurston map (a branched self-covering of the sphere whose critical points have finite orbits) into a graph of bisets. This graph closely parallels the theory of Hubbard trees. This is the first part of a series of five articles, whose main goal is to prove algorithmic decidability of combinatorial equivalence of Thurston maps.

math.GR↗
arXiv2015

Growth of groups and wreath products

These are introductory notes on word growth of groups, and include a gentle presentation of wreath products as well as recent results on construction of groups of with given growth function. They are are an expanded version of a mini-course given at "Le Louverain", June 24-27, 2014.

math.GR↗
arXiv2015

Algorithmic decidability of Engel's property for automaton groups

We consider decidability problems associated with Engel's identity ($[\cdots[[x,y],y],\dots,y]=1$ for a long enough commutator sequence) in groups generated by an automaton. We give a partial algorithm that decides, given $x,y$, whether an Engel identity is satisfied. It succeeds, importantly, in proving that Grigorchuk's $2$-group is not Engel. We consider next the problem of recognizing Engel elements, namely elements $y$ such that the map $x\mapsto[x,y]$ attracts to $\{1\}$. Although this problem seems intractable in general, we prove that it is decidable for Grigorchuk's group: Engel elements are precisely those of order at most $2$. Our computations were implemented using the package FR within the computer algebra system GAP.

cs.FL↗
arXiv2014

Distortion of imbeddings of groups of intermediate growth into metric spaces

For every metric space $\mathcal X$ in which there exists a sequence of finite groups of bounded-size generating set that does not embed coarsely, and for every unbounded, increasing function $ρ$, we produce a group of subexponential word growth all of whose imbeddings in $\mathcal X$ have distortion worse than $ρ$. This applies in particular to any B-convex Banach space $\mathcal X$, such as Hilbert space.

math.GR↗
arXiv2014

Imbeddings into groups of intermediate growth

Every countable group that does not contain a finitely generated subgroup of exponential growth imbeds in a finitely generated group of subexponential growth. This produces in particular the first examples of groups of subexponential growth containing the additive group of the rationals.

math.GR↗
arXiv2013

Algorithmic construction of Hurwitz maps

We describe an algorithm that, given a k-tuple of permutations representing the monodromy of a rational map, constructs an arbitrarily precise floating-point complex approximation of that map. We then explain how it has been used to study a problem in dynamical systems raised by Cui.

math.AT↗