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Robert Kropholler

Publications and source records attributed to Robert Kropholler.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
arXiv2025

Subgroups of word hyperbolic groups in dimension 2 over arbitrary rings

In 1996, Gersten proved that finitely presented subgroups of a word hyperbolic group of integral cohomological dimension 2 are hyperbolic. We use isoperimetric inequalities over arbitrary rings to extend this result to any ring. In particular, we study the discrete isoperimetric function and show that its linearity is equivalent to hyperbolicity, which is also equivalent to it being subquadratic. We further use these ideas to obtain conditions for subgroups of higher rank hyperbolic groups to be again higher rank hyperbolic of the same rank. The appendix discusses the equivalence between isoperimetric inequalities and coning inequalities in the simplicial setting and the general setting, leading to combinatorial definitions of higher rank hyperbolicity in the setting of simplicial complexes and allowing us to give elementary definitions of higher rank hyperbolic groups.

math.GR↗
arXiv2025

Explicit polynomial bounds on Dehn functions of subgroups of hyperbolic groups

In 1999 Brady constructed the first example of a non-hyperbolic finitely presented subgroup of a hyperbolic group by fibring a non-positively curved cube complex over the circle. We show that his example has Dehn function bounded above by $n^{96}$. This provides the first explicit polynomial upper bound on the Dehn function of a finitely presented non-hyperbolic subgroup of a hyperbolic group. We also determine the precise hyperbolicity constant for the $1$-skeleton of the universal cover of the cube complex in Brady's construction with respect to the $4$-point condition for hyperbolicity.

math.GR↗
arXiv2024

Virtual algebraic fibrations of surface-by-surface groups and orbits of the mapping class group

We show that a conjecture of Putman--Wieland, which posits the nonexistence of finite orbits for higher Prym representations of the mapping class group, is equivalent to the existence of surface-by-surface and surface-by-free groups which do not virtually algebraically fiber. While the question about the existence of such groups remains open, we will show that there exist free-by-free and free-by-surface groups which do not algebraically fiber (hence fail to be virtually RFRS).

math.GT↗
arXiv2023

Dehn functions of coabelian subgroups of direct products of groups

We develop new methods for computing the precise Dehn functions of coabelian subgroups of direct products of groups, that is, subgroups which arise as kernels of homomorphisms from the direct product onto a free abelian group. These improve and generalise previous results by Carter and Forester on Dehn functions of level sets in products of simply connected cube complexes, by Bridson on Dehn functions of cocyclic groups and by Dison on Dehn functions of coabelian groups. We then provide several applications of our methods to subgroups of direct products of free groups, to groups with interesting geometric finiteness properties and to subgroups of direct products of right-angled Artin groups.

math.GR↗
arXiv2022

$\ell^2$ Betti numbers and coherence of random groups

We study $\ell^2$ Betti numbers, coherence, and virtual fibring of random groups in the few-relator model. In particular, random groups with negative Euler characteristic are coherent, have $\ell^2$ homology concentrated in dimension 1, and embed in a virtually free-by-cyclic group with high probability. Similar results are shown with positive probability in the zero Euler characteristic case.

math.GR↗
arXiv2021

Incoherence of free-by-free and surface-by-free groups

Let $G$ be the semidirect product $Γ\rtimes F_2$ where $Γ$ is either the free group $F_n$, $n > 1$ or the fundamental group $S_g$ of a closed surface of genus $g > 1$. We prove that $G$ is incoherent, solving two problems posed by D. Wise. This implies an affirmative answer to a question of J. Hillman on the fundamental group of a surface bundle over a surface. Although many groups have been shown to be incoherent using virtual algebraic fibering, we also show that not every free-by-free group virtually algebraically fibers.

math.GR↗
arXiv2021

Homological Dehn functions of groups of type $FP_2$

We prove foundational results for homological Dehn functions of groups of type $FP_2$ such as superadditivity and the invariance under quasi-isometry. We then study the homological Dehn functions of Leary's groups $G_L(S)$ providing methods to obtain uncountably many groups with a given homological Dehn function. This allows us to show that there exist groups of type $FP_2$ with quartic homological Dehn function and unsolvable word problem.

math.GR↗
arXiv2021

A new construction of CAT(0) cube complexes

We introduce the notion of coupled link cube complex (CLCC) as a means of constructing interesting cocompactly cubulated groups. CLCCs are defined locally, making them a useful tool when precise control over the links is required. In this paper we study some general properties of CLCCs, such as their (co)homological dimension and criteria for hyperbolicity. Some examples of fundamental groups of CLCCs are RAAGs, RACGs, surface groups and some manifold groups. As immediate applications of our criteria we produce a number of cubulated 3 and 4 manifolds with hyperbolic fundamental group.

math.MG↗
arXiv2021

Hyperbolic groups with almost finitely presented subgroups

In this paper we create many examples of hyperbolic groups with subgroups satisfying interesting finiteness properties. We give the first examples of subgroups of hyperbolic groups which are of type $FP_2$ but not finitely presented. We give uncountably many groups of type $FP_2$ with similar properties to those subgroups of hyperbolic groups. Along the way we create more subgroups of hyperbolic groups which are finitely presented but not of type $FP_3$.

math.GR↗
arXiv2020

Extensions of hyperbolic groups have locally uniform exponential growth

We introduce a quantitative characterization of subgroup alternatives modeled on the Tits alternative in terms of group laws and investigate when this property is preserved under extensions. We develop a framework that lets us expand the classes of groups known to have locally uniform exponential growth to include extensions of either word hyperbolic or right-angled Artin groups by groups with locally uniform exponential growth. From this, we deduce that the automorphism group of a torsion-free one-ended hyperbolic group has locally uniform exponential growth. Our methods also demonstrate that automorphism groups of torsion-free one-ended toral relatively hyperbolic groups and certain right-angled Artin groups satisfy our quantitative subgroup alternative.

math.GR↗
arXiv2020

Incoherence and fibering of many free-by-free groups

We show that free-by-free groups satisfying a homological criterion, which we call excessive homology, are incoherent. This class is large in nature, including many examples of hyperbolic and non-hyperbolic free-by-free groups. We apply this criterion to finite index subgroups of $F_2\rtimes F_n$ to show incoherence of all such groups, and to other similar classes of groups. Furthermore, we show that a large class of groups, including free-by-free, surface-by-surface, and finitely generated-by-RAAG, algebraically fiber if they have excessive homology.

math.GR↗
arXiv2020

A coarse embedding theorem for homological filling functions

We demonstrate under appropriate finiteness conditions that a coarse embedding induces an inequality of homological Dehn functions. Applications of the main results include a characterization of what finitely presentable groups may admit a coarse embedding into a hyperbolic group of geometric dimension $2$, characterizations of finitely presentable subgroups of groups with quadratic Dehn function with geometric dimension $2$, and to coarse embeddings of nilpotent groups into other nilpotent groups of the same growth and into hyperbolic groups.

math.GT↗
arXiv2020

Folding-like techniques for CAT(0) cube complexes

In a seminal paper, Stallings introduced folding of morphisms of graphs. One consequence of folding is the representation of finitely-generated subgroups of a finite-rank free group as immersions of finite graphs. Stallings's methods allow one to construct this representation algorithmically, giving effective, algorithmic answers and proofs to classical questions about subgroups of free groups. Recently Dani--Levcovitz used Stallings-like methods to study subgroups of right-angled Coxeter groups, which act geometrically on CAT(0) cube complexes. In this paper we extend their techniques to fundamental groups of non-positively curved cube complexes.

math.GR↗
arXiv2020

Finitely generated groups acting uniformly properly on hyperbolic space

We construct an uncountable sequence of groups acting uniformly properly on hyperbolic spaces. We show that only countably many of these groups can be virtually torsion-free. This gives new examples of groups acting uniformly properly on hyperbolic spaces that are not virtually torsion-free and cannot be subgroups of hyperbolic groups.

math.GR↗
arXiv2020

Conjugation curvature for Cayley graphs

We introduce a notion of Ricci curvature for Cayley graphs that can be thought of as "medium-scale" because it is neither infinitesimal nor asymptotic, but based on a chosen finite radius parameter. We argue that it gives the foundation for a definition of Ricci curvature well adapted to geometric group theory, beginning by observing that the sign can easily be characterized in terms of conjugation in the group. With this conjugation curvature $κ$, abelian groups are identically flat, and in the other direction we show that $κ\equiv 0$ implies the group is virtually abelian. Beyond that, $κ$ captures known curvature phenomena in right-angled Artin groups (including free groups) and nilpotent groups, and has a strong relationship to other group-theoretic notions like growth rate and dead ends. We study dependence on generators and behavior under embeddings, and close with directions for further development and study.

math.GR↗
arXiv2020

Medium-scale curvature at larger radii in finitely generated groups

In this paper we study medium scale curvature, a notion of Ricci curvature for groups. We show that dead-end elements yield non-negative curvature. We make use of related elements to find large classes of positive curvature in the lamplighter and Houghton's group. We also study the effect of increasing the radius of curvature and give examples of positive curvature for arbitrary radius. Finally we make some comparisons between this notion of curvature and the Ricci curvature introduced by Ollivier.

math.GR↗