Related papers: Ping-pong configurations and circular orders on fr…
We present obstruction results for self-similar groups regarding the generation of free groups. As a main consequence of our main results, we solve an open problem posed by Grigorchuk by showing that in an automaton group where a…
Ordered, collective motions commonly arise spontaneously in systems of many interacting, active units, ranging from cellular tissues and bacterial colonies to self-propelled colloids and animal flocks. Active phases are especially rich when…
We study some properties of the dynamical realization of isolated left orders of a countable group G. We show that the dynamical realization admits a unique minimal set provided G is not infinite cyclic. We show that convex subgroup of an…
The classical result by Dyer--Scott about fixed subgroups of finite order automorphisms of $F_n$ being free factors of $F_n$ is no longer true in $Z^m\times F_n$. Within this more general context, we prove a relaxed version in the spirit of…
Given an action of a group G on a topological space X, we establish a necessary and sufficient condition for the existence of a free subgroup F of rank 2 of G acting properly discontinuously on at least one nonempty, open, F-invariant…
Many systems where interactions compete with each other or with constraints are well described by a model first introduced by Brazovskii. Such systems include block copolymers, alloys with modulated phases, Rayleigh-Benard Cells and type-I…
It is a theorem of Artin, Tits et al. that a finite simple group is determined by its order, with the exception of the groups (A_3(2), A_2(4)) and (B_n(q), C_n(q)) for n > 2, q odd. We investigate the situation for finite semisimple groups…
All intelligence is collective intelligence, in the sense that it is made of parts which must align with respect to system-level goals. Understanding the dynamics which facilitate or limit navigation of problem spaces by aligned parts thus…
We establish a necessary and sufficient condition for pairs of integers to arise as the weights at the fixed points of an effective circle action on a compact almost complex 4-manifold with a discrete fixed point set. As an application, we…
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 $\phi$.…
In this paper we study a Fermi-Ulam model where a pingpong bounces elastically against a periodically oscillating platform in a gravity field. We assume that the platform motion $f(t)$ is piecewise $C^3$ with a singularity…
This is an almost self-contained monograph (containing some new results) on left-orderable groups which mostly rely on dynamical and probabilistic aspects, but also on geometric, combinatorial, analytic, and topological ones. This new…
According to empirical observations, some pattern formation phenomena in driven many-particle systems are more pronounced in the presence of a certain noise level. We investigate this phenomenon of fluctuation-driven ordering with a…
We construct families of rational functions $f \colon \bP^1_k \to \bP^1_k$ of degree $d \geq 2$ over a perfect field $k$ whose associated fixed-point processes fail to be martingales. Conversely, for any normal variety $X \subset…
Poisson plane and sphere --- homogeneous spaces of Poisson groups E(2) and SU(2) (resp.) --- have phase spaces (corresponding symplectic groupoids), in which a free Hamiltonian is naturally defined. We solve the equations of motion and…
Algorithmic graph theory has thoroughly analyzed how, given a network describing constraints between various nodes, groups can be formed among these so that the resulting configuration optimizes a \emph{global} metric. In contrast, for…
We investigate the emergence of chaotic dynamics in collective-coordinate reductions of a driven and spatially modulated $\phi^4$ field describing the motion of topological kinks. Focusing on finite-dimensional effective models, we consider…
This paper investigates conditions under which a given automorphism of a residually torsion-free nilpotent group respects some ordering of the group. For free groups and surface groups, this has relevance to ordering the fundamental groups…
We prove a bi-ordered version of Rivas' result for free products of left-order groups. Namely, we show that a free product of bi-ordered groups does not admit isolated bi-ordering. Our method relies on the dynamical realization of…
We give a complete classification to when a finite group of outer automorphisms preserves a bi-order on a non-abelian free group and bi-orderable surface groups. We also give another new criterion for an outer automorphism of $F_n$ induced…