Related papers: Distortion Elements in Group actions on surfaces

If $G$ is a finitely generated group with generators $\{g_1,..., g_s\}$, we say an infinite-order element $f \in G$ is a distortion element of $G$ provided that $\displaystyle \liminf_{n \to \infty} \frac{|f^n|}{n} = 0$, where $|f^n|$ is…

We show that there is a distortion element in a finitely-generated subgroup $G$ of the automorphism group of the full shift, namely an element of infinite order whose word norm grows polylogarithmically. As a corollary, we obtain a lower…

We consider the group of smooth diffeomorphisms of the circle. We show that any recurrent $f$ (in the sense that $\{f^n\}_{n \in Z}$ is not discrete) is in fact a distortion element (in the sense that its iterates can be written as short…

Let S be a compact orientable surface and f be an element of the group Homeo_{0}(S) of homeomorphisms of S isotopic to the identity. Denote by F a lift of f to the universal cover of S. In this article, the following result is proved: if…

In this paper, we study distortion in the group $\mathcal A$ of Affine Interval Exchange Transformations (AIET). We prove that any distorted element $f$ of $\mathcal A$, has an iterate $f^ k$ that is conjugate by an element of $\mathcal A$…

In these lectures we consider how algebraic properties of discrete subgroups of Lie groups restrict the possible actions of those groups on surfaces. The results show a strong parallel between the possible actions of such a group on the…

A group element is called a generalized torsion if a finite product of its conjugates is equal to the identity. We prove that in a nilpotent or FC-group, the generalized torsion elements are all torsion elements. Moreover, we compute the…

We prove that every distortion element in the group of diffeomorphisms of the 2-sphere which has some recurrent point that is not fixed is an irrational pseudo-rotation. Moreover we prove that the differential of a distortion element in the…

Let $M$ be the circle or a compact interval, and let $\alpha=k+\tau\ge1$ be a real number such that $k=\lfloor \alpha\rfloor$. We write $\mathrm{Diff}_+^{\alpha}(M)$ for the group of $C^k$ diffeomorphisms of $M$ whose $k^{th}$ derivatives…

Let $G$ be the group ${\rm PAff}_+({\bf S}^1)$ of piecewise--affine circle homeomorphisms or the group ${\Diff}^{\infty}(\mathbb R/\mathbb Z)$ of smooth circle diffeomorphisms. A constructive proof that all irrational rotations are…

Let $\Diffeo=\Diffeo(\R)$ denote the group of infinitely-differentiable diffeomorphisms of the real line $\R$, under the operation of composition, and let $\Diffeo^+$ be the subgroup of diffeomorphisms of degree +1, i.e.…

In this article, we characterize the distortion elements of the group of smooth diffeomorphisms of the circle and of the group of compactly supported smooth diffeomorphisms of the real line. More precisely, we prove that, in this context,…

We build the first examples of diffeomorphisms that are distorted in a group of $C^r$ diffeomorphisms yet undistorted in the corresponding group of $C^s$ diffeomorphisms, where $r < s$. This explicit construction is performed for the closed…

A group element is called generalized torsion if a finite product of its conjugates is equal to the identity. We show that in a finitely generated abelian-by-finite group, an element is generalized torsion if and only if its image in the…

We exhibit rigid rotations of spheres as distortion elements in groups of diffeomorphisms, thereby answering a question of J Franks and M Handel. We also show that every homeomorphism of a sphere is, in a suitable sense, as distorted as…

It is shown that there exist infinitely many non-integers $r>2$ such that the Dehn function of some finitely presented group is $\simeq n^r$. For each positive rational number $s$ we construct pairs of finitely presented groups $H\subset G$…

Let $f:M\to \mathbb{R}$ be a Morse function on a smooth closed surface, $V$ be a connected component of some critical level of $f$, and $\mathcal{E}_V$ be its atom. Let also $\mathcal{S}(f)$ be a stabilizer of the function $f$ under the…

Let $f:\mathbb{R}^2 \to \mathbb{R}$ be a real homogeneous polynomial and $S(f)$ be the group of diffeomorphisms $h:\mathbb{R}^2 \to \mathbb{R}^2$ preserving $f$, i.e. $f \circ h = f$. Denote by $S(f,r)$, $(0\leq r \leq \infty)$, the…

Let $G$ be a group. An element $g \in G$ is called a test element of $G$ if for every endomorphism $\varphi:G \to G$, $\varphi(g)=g$ implies that $\varphi$ is an automorphism. We prove that for a finitely generated profinite group $G$, $g…

Given a finite set of $r$ points in a closed surface of genus $g$, we consider the torsion elements in the mapping class group of the surface leaving the finite set invariant. We show that the torsion elements generate the mapping class…