Related papers: Spheres and Projections for $\mathrm{Out}(F_n)$

Let $\phi$ be an automorphism of a free group $F_n$ of rank $n$, and let $M_{\phi}=F_n \rtimes_{\phi} \mathbb{Z}$ be the corresponding mapping torus of $\phi$. We study the group $Out(M_{\phi})$ under certain technical conditions on $\phi$.…

Let S be any orientable surface of infinite genus with a finite number of boundary components. In this work we consider the curve complex C(S), the nonseparating curve complex N(S) and the Schmutz graph G(S) of S. When all the topological…

Let $F_n$ be the free group on $n\ge 2$ elements and $\A(F_n)$ its group of automorphisms. In this paper we present a rich collection of linear representations of $\A(F_n)$ arising through the action of finite index subgroups of it on…

The homology groups of the automorphism group of a free group are known to stabilize as the number of generators of the free group goes to infinity, and this paper relativizes this result to a family of groups that can be defined in terms…

We construct quasi-isometric embeddings from right-angled Artin groups into the outer automorphism group of a free group. These homomorphisms are in analogy with those constructed in \cite{CLM}, where the target group is the mapping class…

This is the first in a series of four papers (with research announcement posted on this arXiv) that together develop a decomposition theory for subgroups of Out(F_n). In this paper we develop further the theory of geometric EG strata of…

We study the simplicial order complexes obtained from free modules over finite local rings. These complexes arise naturally as geodesic spheres in Bruhat-Tits buildings over non-archimedean local fields. We establish two forms of rigidity,…

Let G be a word-hyperbolic group, obtained as a graph of free groups amalgamated along cyclic subgroups. If H_2(G;Q) is nonzero, then G contains a closed hyperbolic surface subgroup. Moreover, the unit ball of the Gromov-Thurston norm on…

In this paper we develop the metric theory for the outer space of a free product of groups. This generalizes the theory of the outer space of a free group, and includes its relative versions. The outer space of a free product is made of…

The quadric $\operatorname{Q}_{2n}$ is the ${\mathbb Z}$-scheme defined by the equation $\sum_{i=1}^n x_i y_i = z(1-z)$. We show that $\operatorname{Q}_{2n}$ is a homogeneous space for the split reductive group scheme…

We give an algorithm to decide which elements of pi_2(S^2\times S^1#...#S^2\times S^1) can be represented by embedded spheres. Such spheres correspond to splittings of the free group on k generators. Equivalently our algorithm decides…

This is the fourth and last in a series of four papers (with research announcement posted on this arXiv) that develop a decomposition theory for subgroups of $\text{Out}(F_n)$. In this paper we develop general ping-pong techniques for the…

Let $G= \exp(\g)$ be a connected, simply connected nilpotent Lie group. We show that for every $G$-invariant smooth sub-manifold $M$ of $g^*$, there exists an open relatively compact subset $\mathcal{M}$ of $M$ such that for any smooth…

We study dismantling properties of the arc, disc and sphere graphs. We prove that any finite subgroup H of the mapping class group of a surface with punctures, the handlebody group, or Out(F_n) fixes a filling (resp. simple) clique in the…

Let $k$ be an algebraically closed field of characteristic $p > 0$. Let $X$ be an irreducible smooth projective curve of genus $g$ over $k$. Fix an integer $n \geq 2$, and let $S^n(X)$ be the $n$-fold symmetric product of $X$. In this…

The Hardy space H^2(R) for the upper half plane together with a unimodular function group representation u(\lambda) = \exp(i(\lambda_1\psi_1 + ... + \lambda_n\psi_n)) for \lambda in R^n, gives rise to a manifold M of orthogonal projections…

We define lines of minima in the thick part of Outer space for the free group Fn with n>2 generators. We show that these lines of minima are contracting for the Lipschitz metric. Every fully irreducible outer automorphism of Fn defines such…

We characterize strongly Morse quasi-geodesics in Outer space as quasi-geodesics which project to quasi-geodesics in the free factor graph. We define convex cocompact subgroups of $Out(F_n)$ as subgroups such that an orbit map in the free…

We construct examples of finite covers of punctured surfaces where the first rational homology is not spanned by lifts of simple closed curves. More generally, for any set $\mathcal{O} \subset F_n$ which is contained in the union of…

Let $G$ be a linear algebraic group, over a field $F$. We show that $G$ is isomorphic to the automorphism group scheme of a smooth projective $F$-variety, defined as the blow-up of a projective space, along a suitable smooth subvariety.