English

The Poisson boundary of $\text{Out}(F_N)$

Group Theory 2016-02-10 v1 Geometric Topology Probability

Abstract

Let μ\mu be a probability measure on Out(FN)\text{Out}(F_N) with finite first logarithmic moment with respect to the word metric, finite entropy, and whose support generates a nonelementary subgroup of Out(FN)\text{Out}(F_N). We show that almost every sample path of the random walk on (Out(FN),μ)(\text{Out}(F_N),\mu), when realized in Culler and Vogtmann's outer space, converges to the simplex of a free, arational tree. We then prove that the space FI\mathcal{FI} of simplices of free and arational trees, equipped with the hitting measure, is the Poisson boundary of (Out(FN),μ)(\text{Out}(F_N),\mu). Using Bestvina-Reynolds' and Hamenst\"adt's description of the Gromov boundary of the complex FFN\mathcal{FF}_N of free factors of FNF_N, this gives a new proof of the fact, due to Calegari and Maher, that the realization in FFN\mathcal{FF_N} of almost every sample path of the random walk converges to a boundary point. We get in addition that FFN\partial\mathcal{FF}_N, equipped with the hitting measure, is the Poisson boundary of (Out(FN),μ)(\text{Out}(F_N),\mu).

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1405.7938,
  title  = {The Poisson boundary of $\text{Out}(F_N)$},
  author = {Camille Horbez},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1405.7938},
  year   = {2016}
}

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23 pages