Related papers: Walks on groups, counting reducible matrices, poly…

We consider models of random groups in which the typical group is of intermediate rank (in particular, it is not hyperbolic). These models are parallel to M. Gromov's well-known constructions and include for example a "density model" for…

We characterize the irreducible polynomials that occur as a characteristic polynomial of an automorphism of an even unimodular lattice of given signature, generalizing a theorem of Gross and McMullen. As part of the proof, we give a general…

Let $S=\Gamma\backslash \mathbb{H}$ be a hyperbolic surface of finite topological type, such that the Fuchsian group $\Gamma \le \operatorname{PSL}_2(\mathbb{R})$ is non-elementary, and consider any generating set $\mathfrak S$ of $\Gamma$.…

We obtain various new limit theorems for random walks on SL_2(C) under low moment conditions. For non-elementary measures with a finite second moment, we prove a Local Limit Theorem for the norm cocycle, yielding the optimal version of a…

One way of picking a "generic" element of a finitely generated group is to pick a random element with uniform probability in a large ball centered on $1$ in the Cayley graph. If the group acts on a $\delta$-hyperbolic space, with at least…

In this note, we prove that a random extension of either the free group $F_N$ of rank $N\ge3$ or of the fundamental group of a closed, orientable surface $S_g$ of genus $g\ge2$ is a hyperbolic group. Here, a random extension is one…

We establish three independent results on groups acting on trees. The first implies that a compactly generated locally compact group which acts continuously on a locally finite tree with nilpotent local action and no global fixed point is…

We study products of random isometries acting on Euclidean space. Building on previous work of the second author, we prove a local limit theorem for balls of shrinking radius with exponential speed under the assumption that a Markov…

This book provides a gentle introduction to the study of arithmetic subgroups of semisimple Lie groups. This means that the goal is to understand the group SL(n,Z) and certain of its subgroups. Among the major results discussed in the later…

The aim of this article is to study some asymptotics of a natural model of random ramified coverings on the disk of degree $N$. We prove that the monodromy field, called also the holonomy field, converges in probability to a non-random…

Necessary and sufficient conditions for a Markov chain to be ergodic are that the chain is irreducible and aperiodic. This result is manifest in the case of random walks on finite groups by a statement about the support of the driving…

If Gamma is a nonuniform, irreducible lattice in a semisimple Lie group whose real rank is greater than 1, we show Gamma contains a subgroup that is isomorphic to a nonuniform, irreducible lattice in either SL(3,R), SL(3,C), or a direct…

Let $G$ be a quasi-transitive, locally finite, connected graph rooted at a vertex $o$, and let $c_n(o)$ be the number of self-avoiding walks of length $n$ on $G$ starting at $o$. We show that if $G$ has only thin ends, then the generating…

Using the theory of group action, we first introduce the concept of the automorphism group of an exponential family or a graphical model, thus formalizing the general notion of symmetry of a probabilistic model. This automorphism group…

We show that finite quasisimple groups of Lie type in characteristic $p$ with an irreducible representation of prime degree $r$ over a finite field of characteristic $p$ have orders bounded above by a function of $r$, independent of $p$. We…

This survey is concerned with random walks on mapping class groups. We illustrate how the actions of mapping class groups on Teichm\"uller spaces or curve complexes reveal the nature of random walks, and vice versa. Our emphasis is on the…

This text is an expanded series of lecture notes based on a 5-hour course given at the workshop entitled "Workshop for young researchers: Groups acting on manifolds" held in Teres\'opolis, Brazil in June 2016. The course introduced a number…

Consider a lattice $\Gamma$ in a group $G = SL_2(\R), SO(1,n), SU(1,n)$, $SL_2(\Q_p)$. We discuss actions of $\Gamma$ by affine isometric transformations of Hilbert spaces. We show that for irreducible affine isometric action of $G$ its…

We consider translation surfaces with poles on surfaces. We shall prove that any finite group appears as the automorphism group of some translation surface with poles. As a direct consequence we obtain the existence of structures achieving…

In this paper, we study properties of random walks on finite groups and later use them to obtain the limiting braid length expectation and component number of braid closure in a model of random braids, which is constructed by lifting…