arXiv subjects
Publications and source records attributed to Vincent Guirardel.
We define an algebraic group over a group $G$ to be a variety - that is, a subset of $G^d$ defined by equations over $G$ - endowed with a group law whose coordinates can be expressed as word maps. In the case where $G$ is a torsion-free hyperbolic group and the underlying variety is irreducible we give a complete description of all algebraic groups.
We prove that for every $N\ge 3$, the group $\mathrm{Out}(F_N)$ of outer automorphisms of a free group of rank $N$ is superrigid from the point of view of measure equivalence: any countable group that is measure equivalent to $\mathrm{Out}(F_N)$, is in fact virtually isomorphic to $\mathrm{Out}(F_N)$. We introduce three new constructions of canonical splittings associated to a subgroup of $\mathrm{Out}(F_N)$ of independent interest. They encode respectively the collection of invariant free splittings, invariant cyclic splittings, and maximal invariant free factor systems. Our proof also relies on the following improvement of an amenability result by Bestvina and the authors: given a free factor system $\mathcal{F}$ of $F_N$, the action of $\mathrm{Out}(F_N,\mathcal{F})$ (the subgroup of $\mathrm{Out}(F_N)$ that preserves $\mathcal{F}$) on the space of relatively arational trees with amenable stabilizer is a Borel amenable action.
We construct the first examples of infinite sharply 2-transitive groups which are finitely generated. Moreover, we construct such a group that has Kazhdan property (T), is simple, has exactly four conjugacy classes, and we show that this number is as small as possible.
We prove a rigidity result for cocycles from higher rank lattices to $\mathrm{Out}(F_N)$ and more generally to the outer automorphism group of a torsion-free hyperbolic group. More precisely, let $G$ be either a product of connected higher rank simple algebraic groups over local fields, or a lattice in such a product. Let $G\curvearrowright X$ be an ergodic measure-preserving action on a standard probability space, and let $H$ be a torsion-free hyperbolic group. We prove that every Borel cocycle $G\times X\to\mathrm{Out}(H)$ is cohomologous to a cocycle with values in a finite subgroup of $\mathrm{Out}(H)$. This provides a dynamical version of theorems of Farb--Kaimanovich--Masur and Bridson--Wade asserting that every morphism from $G$ to either the mapping class group of a finite-type surface or the outer automorphism group of a free group, has finite image. The main new geometric tool is a barycenter map that associates to every triple of points in the boundary of the (relative) free factor graph a finite set of (relative) free splittings.
We prove that $Out(F_N)$ is boundary amenable. This also holds more generally for $Out(G)$, where $G$ is either a toral relatively hyperbolic group or a finitely generated right-angled Artin group. As a consequence, all these groups satisfy the Novikov conjecture on higher signatures.
Given a countable group $G$ splitting as a free product $G=G_1\ast\dots\ast G_k\ast F_N$, we establish classification results for subgroups of the group $Out(G,\mathcal{F})$ of all outer automorphisms of $G$ that preserve the conjugacy classes of each $G_i$. We show that every finitely generated subgroup $H\subseteq Out(G,\mathcal{F})$ either contains a relatively fully irreducible automorphism, or else it virtually preserves the conjugacy class of a proper free factor relative to the decomposition (the finite generation hypothesis on $H$ can be dropped for $G=F_N$, or more generally when $G$ is toral relatively hyperbolic). In the first case, either $H$ virtually preserves a nonperipheral conjugacy class in $G$, or else $H$ contains an atoroidal automorphism. The key geometric tool to obtain these classification results is a description of the Gromov boundaries of relative versions of the free factor graph $\mathrm{FF}$ and the $\mathcal{Z}$-factor graph $\mathcal{Z}\mathrm{F}$, as spaces of equivalence classes of arational trees (respectively relatively free arational trees). We also identify the loxodromic isometries of $\mathrm{FF}$ with the fully irreducible elements of $Out(G,\mathcal{F})$, and loxodromic isometries of $\mathcal{Z}\mathrm{F}$ with the fully irreducible atoroidal outer automorphisms.
This paper is devoted to the first-order theory of torsion-free hyperbolic groups. One of its purposes is to review some results and to provide precise and correct statements and definitions, as well as some proofs and new results. A key concept is that of a tower (Sela) or NTQ system (Kharlampovich-Myasnikov). We discuss them thoroughly. We state and prove a new general theorem which unifies several results in the literature: elementarily equivalent torsion-free hyperbolic groups have isomorphic cores (Sela); if $H$ is elementarily embedded in a torsion-free hyperbolic group $G$, then $G$ is a tower over $H$ relative to $H$ (Perin); free groups (Perin-Sklinos, Ould-Houcine), and more generally free products of prototypes and free groups, are homogeneous. The converse to Sela and Perin's results just mentioned is true. This follows from the solution to Tarski's problem on elementary equivalence of free groups, due independently to Sela and Kharlampovich-Myasnikov, which we treat as a black box throughout the paper. We present many examples and counterexamples, and we prove some new model-theoretic results. We characterize prime models among torsion-free hyperbolic groups, and minimal models among elementarily free groups. Using Fraïssé's method, we associate to every torsion-free hyperbolic group $H$ a unique homogeneous countable group $\mathcal{M}$ in which any hyperbolic group $H'$ elementarily equivalent to $H$ has an elementary embedding. In an appendix we give a complete proof of the fact, due to Sela, that towers over a torsion-free hyperbolic group $H$ are $H$-limit groups.
Consider an algebraically closed field k and the Cremona group of all birational transformations of the projective plane over k. We characterize infinite order elements of this group having a non-zero power generating a proper normal subgroup of the Cremona group.
We construct embeddings of surface groups into the group of germs of analytic diffeomorphisms in one variable.
We show that, if $H$ is a random subgroup of a finitely generated free group $F_k$, only inner automorphisms of $F_k$ may leave $H$ invariant. A similar result holds for random subgroups of toral relatively hyperbolic groups, more generally of groups which are hyperbolic relative to slender subgroups. These results follow from non-existence of splittings over slender groups which are relative to a random group element. Random subgroups are defined using random walks or balls in a Cayley tree of $F_k$.
This work is the first step towards a description of the Gromov boundary of the free factor graph of a free product, with applications to subgroup classification for outer automorphisms. We extend the theory of algebraic laminations dual to trees, as developed by Coulbois, Hilion, Lustig and Reynolds, to the context of free products; this also gives us an opportunity to give a unified account of this theory. We first show that any $\mathbb{R}$-tree with dense orbits in the boundary of the corresponding outer space can be reconstructed as a quotient of the boundary of the group by its dual lamination. We then describe the dual lamination in terms of a band complex on compact $\mathbb{R}$-trees (generalizing Coulbois-Hilion-Lustig's compact heart), and we analyze this band complex using versions of the Rips machine and of the Rauzy-Veech induction. An important output of the theory is that the above map from the boundary of the group to the $\mathbb{R}$-tree is 2-to-1 almost everywhere. A key point for our intended application is a unique duality result for arational trees. It says that if two trees have a leaf in common in their dual laminations, and if one of the trees is arational and relatively free, then they are equivariantly homeomorphic. This statement is an analogue of a result in the free group saying that if two trees are dual to a common current and one of the trees is free arational, then the two trees are equivariantly homeomorphic. However, we notice that in the setting of free products, the continuity of the pairing between trees and currents fails. For this reason, in all this paper, we work with laminations rather than with currents.
We prove that any finitely generated torsion free solvable subgroup of the group ${\rm IET}$ of all Interval Exchange Transformations is virtually abelian. In contrast, the lamplighter groups $A\wr \mathbb{Z}^k$ embed in ${\rm IET}$ for every finite abelian group $A$, and we construct uncountably many non pairwise isomorphic 3-step solvable subgroups of ${\rm IET}$ as semi-direct products of a lamplighter group with an abelian group. We also prove that for every non-abelian finite group $F$, the group $F\wr \mathbb{Z}^k$ does not embed in ${\rm IET}$.
Dehn fillings for relatively hyperbolic groups generalize the topological Dehn surgery on a non-compact hyperbolic $3$-manifold such as a hyperbolic knot complement. We prove a rigidity result saying that if two non-elementary relatively hyperbolic groups without suitable splittings have sufficiently many isomorphic Dehn fillings, then these groups are in fact isomorphic. Our main application is a solution to the isomorphism problem in the class of non-elementary relatively hyperbolic groups with residually finite parabolic groups and with no suitable splittings.
Outer automorphism groups of RAAGs, denoted $Out(A_Γ)$, interpolate between $Out(F_n)$ and $GL_n(\mathbb{Z})$. We consider several vastness properties for which $Out(F_n)$ behaves very differently from $GL_n(\mathbb{Z})$: virtually mapping onto all finite groups, SQ-universality, virtually having an infinite dimensional space of homogeneous quasimorphisms, and not being boundedly generated. We give a neccessary and sufficient condition in terms of the defining graph $Γ$ for each of these properties to hold. Notably, the condition for all four properties is the same, meaning $Out(A_Γ)$ will either satisfy all four, or none. In proving this result, we describe conditions on $Γ$ that imply $Out(A_Γ)$ is large. Techniques used in this work are then applied to the case of McCool groups, defined as subgroups of $Out(F_n)$ that preserve a given family of conjugacy classes. In particular we show that any McCool group that is not virtually abelian virtually maps onto all finite groups, is SQ-universal, is not boundedly generated, and has a finite index subgroup whose space of homogeneous quasimorphisms is infinite dimensional.
This is an account of the theory of JSJ decompositions of finitely generated groups, as developed in the last twenty years or so. We give a simple general definition of JSJ decompositions (or rather of their Bass-Serre trees), as maximal universally elliptic trees. In general, there is no preferred JSJ decomposition, and the right object to consider is the whole set of JSJ decompositions, which forms a contractible space: the JSJ deformation space (analogous to Outer Space). We prove that JSJ decompositions exist for any finitely presented group, without any assumption on edge groups. When edge groups are slender, we describe flexible vertices of JSJ decompositions as quadratically hanging extensions of 2-orbifold groups. Similar results hold in the presence of acylindricity, in particular for splittings of torsion-free CSA groups over abelian groups, and splittings of relatively hyperbolic groups over virtually cyclic or parabolic subgroups. Using trees of cylinders, we obtain canonical JSJ trees (which are invariant under automorphisms). We introduce a variant in which the property of being universally elliptic is replaced by the more restrictive and rigid property of being universally compatible. This yields a canonical compatibility JSJ tree, not just a deformation space. We show that it exists for any finitely presented group. We give many examples, and we work throughout with relative decompositions (restricting to trees where certain subgroups are elliptic).
In this article we study automorphisms and endomorphisms of lacunary hyperbolic groups. We prove that every lacunary hyperbolic group is Hopfian, answering a question by Henry Wilton. In addition, we show that if a lacunary hyperbolic group has the fix point property for actions on $\mathbf R$-trees, then it is co-Hopfian and its outer automorphism group is locally finite. We also construct lacunary hyperbolic groups whose automorphism group is infinite, locally finite, and contains any locally finite group given in advance.
We study to what extent torsion-free (Gromov)-hyperbolic groups are elementarily equivalent to their finite index subgroups. In particular, we prove that a hyperbolic limit group either is a free product of cyclic groups and surface groups, or admits infinitely many subgroups of finite index which are pairwise non elementarily equivalent.
This paper and its companion arXiv:1002.4564 have been replaced by arXiv:1602.05139. We give a general simple definition of JSJ decompositions by means of a universal maximality property. The JSJ decomposition should not be viewed as a tree (which is not uniquely defined) but as a canonical deformation space of trees. We prove that JSJ decompositions of finitely presented groups always exist, without any assumption on edge groups. Many examples are given.