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Russell Ricks

Publications and source records attributed to Russell Ricks.

10 recordsLinked to original sources
arXiv2022

Intrinsic Rank in CAT(0) Spaces

Let $X$ be a proper, geodesically complete CAT(0) space which satisfies Chen and Eberlein's duality condition. We show the existence of a strong notion of rank for $X$ by proving that the parallel sets $P_v$ of geodesics $v$ in $X$ are generically flat. More precisely, let $GX$ be the space of parametrized unit-speed geodesics in $X$. There is a unique $k$ and a dense $G_\delta$ set $\mathcal{A}$ in $GX$ such that $P_v$ is isometric to flat Euclidean space $\mathbb{R}^k$, for all $v \in \mathcal{A}$. It follows that $\mathbb{R}^k$ isometrically embeds in $P_v$ for every $v \in GX$.

math.MG↗
arXiv2019

Closed subsets of a CAT(0) 2-complex are intrinsically CAT(0)

Let k be at most 0, and let X be a locally-finite CAT(k) polyhedral 2-complex X, each face with constant curvature k. Let E be a closed, rectifiably-connected subset of X with trivial first singular homology. We show that E, under the induced path metric, is a complete CAT(k) space.

math.MG↗
arXiv2019

The unique measure of maximal entropy for a compact rank one locally CAT(0) space

Let $X$ be a compact, geodesically complete, locally CAT(0) space such that the universal cover admits a rank one axis. We prove the Bowen-Margulis measure on the space of geodesics is the unique measure of maximal entropy for the geodesic flow, which has topological entropy equal to the critical exponent of the Poincar\'e series.

math.DS↗
arXiv2019

Counting closed geodesics in a compact rank one locally CAT(0) space

Let $X$ be a compact, geodesically complete, locally CAT(0) space such that the universal cover admits a rank one axis. Assume $X$ is not homothetic to a metric graph with integer edge lengths. Let $P_t$ be the number of parallel classes of oriented closed geodesics of length $\le t$; then $\lim\limits_{t \to \infty} P_t / \frac{e^{ht}}{ht} = 1$, where $h$ is the entropy of the geodesic flow on the space $SX$ of parametrized unit-speed geodesics in $X$.

math.DS↗
arXiv2018

A rank rigidity result for CAT(0) spaces with one-dimensional Tits boundaries

We prove the following rank rigidity result for proper CAT(0) spaces with one-dimensional Tits boundaries: Let $\Gamma$ be a group acting properly discontinuously, cocompactly, and by isometries on such a space $X$. If the Tits diameter of $\partial X$ equals $\pi$ and $\Gamma$ does not act minimally on $\partial X$, then $\partial X$ is a spherical building or a spherical join. If $X$ is also geodesically complete, then $X$ is a Euclidean building, higher rank symmetric space, or a nontrivial product. Much of the proof, which involves finding a Tits-closed convex building-like subset of $\partial X$, does not require the Tits diameter to be $\pi$, and we give an alternate condition that guarantees rigidity when this hypothesis is removed, which is that a certain invariant of the group action be even.

math.MG↗
arXiv2018

Asymptotic cones and boundaries of CAT(0) groups

It is well known that the Tits boundary of a proper cocompact CAT(0) space embeds into every asymptotic cone of the space. We explore the relationships between the asymptotic cones of a CAT(0) space and its boundary under both the standard visual (i.e. cone) topology and the Tits metric. We show that the set of asymptotic cones of a proper cocompact CAT(0) space admits canonical connecting maps under which the direct limit is isometric to the Euclidean cone on the Tits boundary. The resulting projection from any asymptotic cone to the Tits boundary is determined by the visual topology; on the other hand, the visual topology can be recovered from the connecting maps between asymptotic cones. We also demonstrate how maps between asymptotic cones induce maps between Tits boundaries.

math.GR↗
arXiv2018

Detecting product splittings of CAT(0) spaces

Let $X$ be a proper CAT($0$) space and $G$ a cocompact group of isometries of $X$ without fixed point at infinity. We prove that if $\partial X$ contains an invariant subset of circumradius $\pi/2$, then $X$ contains a quasi-dense, closed convex subspace that splits as a product. Adding the assumption that the $G$-action on $X$ is properly discontinuous, we give more conditions that are equivalent to a product splitting. In particular, this occurs if $\partial X$ contains a proper nonempty, closed, invariant, $\pi$-convex set in $\partial X$; or if some nonempty closed, invariant set in $\partial X$ intersects each round sphere $K \subset \partial X$ inside a proper subsphere of $K$.

math.MG↗
arXiv2014

Flat strips, Bowen-Margulis measures, and mixing of the geodesic flow for rank one CAT(0) spaces

Let $X$ be a proper, geodesically complete CAT(0) space under a proper, non-elementary, isometric action by a group $\Gamma$ with a rank one element. We construct a generalized Bowen-Margulis measure on the space of unit-speed parametrized geodesics of $X$ modulo the $\Gamma$-action. Although the construction of Bowen-Margulis measures for rank one nonpositively curved manifolds and for CAT(-1) spaces is well-known, the construction for CAT(0) spaces hinges on establishing a new structural result of independent interest: Almost no geodesic, under the Bowen-Margulis measure, bounds a flat strip of any positive width. We also show that almost every point in $\partial_\infty X$, under the Patterson-Sullivan measure, is isolated in the Tits metric. (For these results we assume the Bowen-Margulis measure is finite, as it is in the cocompact case). Finally, we precisely characterize mixing when $X$ has full limit set: A finite Bowen-Margulis measure is not mixing under the geodesic flow precisely when $X$ is a tree with all edge lengths in $c \mathbb Z$ for some $c > 0$. This characterization is new, even in the setting of CAT(-1) spaces. More general (technical) versions of these results are also stated in the paper.

math.DS↗
arXiv2010

Planar subspaces are intrinsically CAT(0)

Let $M_k$ be the complete, simply connected, Riemannian 2-manifold of constant curvature $k \le 0$. Let $E$ be a closed, simply connected subspace of $M_k$ with the property that every two points in $E$ is connected by a rectifiable path in $E$. We show that under the induced path metric, $E$ is a complete CAT($k$) space. We also show that the natural notions of angle coming from the intrinsic and extrinsic metrics coincide for all simple geodesic triangles.

math.GT↗