arXiv research

The paper introduces two new metrics on outer space and shows fixed points for their actions.

The paper extends Lipschitz metric isometries between Outer Spaces of virtually free groups.

Study uses outer metrics for PDE-constrained shape optimization over diffeomorphism group.

We study the asymmetry of the Lipschitz metric d on Outer space. We introduce an (asymmetric) Finsler norm that induces d. There is an Out(F_n)-invariant potential Ψon Outer space such that when the Lipschitz norm is corrected by the derivative of Ψ, the resulting norm is quasisymmetric. As an application, we give new …

We give estimates on the length of paths defined in the sphere model of outer space using a surgery process, and show that they make definite progress in some sense when they remain in some thick part of outer space. To do so, we relate the Lipschitz metric on outer space to a notion of intersection numbers.

We quantitatively relate the Patterson-Sullivant currents and generic stretching factors for free group automorphisms to the asymmetric Lipschitz metric on Outer space and to Guirardel's intersection number.

Let $\mathrm{Out}(F_n)$ be the outer automorphism group of the free group $F_n$. It acts properly on the outer space $X_n$ of marked metric graphs, which is a finite-dimensional infinite simplicial complex with some simplicial faces missing. In this paper, we construct complete geodesic metrics and complete piecewise s…

We prove analogues of Royden's Theorem for the Lipschitz metrics of Outer Space, namely that Isom(CV_n) is Out(F_n).

We show that the horoboundary of outer space for the Lipschitz metric is a quotient of Culler and Morgan's classical boundary, two trees being identified whenever their translation length functions are homothetic in restriction to the set of primitive elements of $F_N$. We identify the set of Busemann points with the s…

Two trees in the boundary of outer space are said to be \emph{primitive-equivalent} whenever their translation length functions are equal in restriction to the set of primitive elements of $F_N$. We give an explicit description of this equivalence relation, showing in particular that it is nontrivial. This question is …

Random walks on free groups reveal asymmetric expansion factors.

Metric graphs have subgraphs with entropy at least λ.

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 a line a minima. Now let G be a subgroup of the outer automorphism group of Fn …

We define metrics on Culler-Vogtmann space, which are an analogue of the Teichmuller metric and are constructed using stretching factors. In fact the metrics we study are related, one being a symmetrised version of the other. We investigate the basic properties of these metrics, showing the advantages and pathologies o…

Outer space for RAAGs is a contractible finite-dimensional space for automorphisms.

Outer space and Teichmüller space fail well-rounded retract analogy.

We prove central limit theorems for the random walks on either the mapping class group of a closed, connected, orientable, hyperbolic surface, or on $\text{Out}(F_N)$, each time under a finite second moment condition on the measure (either with respect to the Teichmüller metric, or with respect to the Lipschitz metric …

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 $G$-trees with possibly non-trivial vertex stabilisers. The strategies are the same…

We study the Lipschitz metric on Outer Space and prove that fully irreducible elements of Out(F_n) act by hyperbolic isometries with axes which are strongly contracting. As a corollary, we prove that the axes of fully irreducible automorphisms in the Cayley graph of Out(F_n) are stable, meaning that a quasi-geodesic wi…

We investigate the combinatorial and geometric properties of automorphism groups of universal right-angled Coxeter groups, which are the automorphism groups of free products of copies of Z_2. It is currently an open question as to whether or not these automorphism groups have non-positive curvature. Analogous to Outer …

In 1981 Masur proved the existence of a dense geodesic in the moduli space for a Teichmüller space. We prove an analogue theorem for reduced Outer Space endowed with the Lipschitz metric. We also prove two results possibly of independent interest: we show Brun's unordered algorithm weakly converges and from this prove …

In this paper we study the convexity properties of geodesics and balls in Outer space equipped with the Lipschitz metric. We introduce a class of geodesics called balanced folding paths and show that, for every loop $α$, the length of $α$ along a balanced folding path is not larger than the maximum of its lengths at th…

A remarkable result of McShane states that for a punctured torus with a complete finite volume hyperbolic metric we have \[ \sum_γ \frac{1}{e^{\ell(γ)}+1}={1/2} \] where $γ$ varies over the homotopy classes of essential simple closed curves and $\ell(γ)$ is the length of the geodesic representative of $γ$. We prove tha…

Formula for transgressions on polyhedral manifolds, linking face volumes and outer angles.

Consider a compact, orientable, three dimensional Riemannian manifold with boundary with nonnegative scalar curvature. Suppose its boundary is the disjoint union of two pieces: the horizon boundary and the outer boundary, where the horizon boundary consists of the unique closed minimal surfaces in the manifold and the …

We study the geometry of Outer Space $CV_n$ in regard of the asymmetric Lipschitz metric via envelopes, that is the set of all geodesics between two points. In the simplicial structure of $CV_n$ the envelopes are polytopes. We construct a piecewise unique geodesic between any two points in $CV_n$ by concatenating edges…

Researchers extend monotonicity formulas for harmonic functions in RCD(0,N) spaces.

We study the relationship between initial data sets with horizons and the existence of metrics of positive scalar curvature. We define a Cauchy Domain of Outer Communications (CDOC) to be an asymptotically flat initial set $(M, g, K)$ such that the boundary $\partial M$ of $M$ is a collection of Marginally Outer (or In…

In a recent work, Galloway [9] proved a local foliation theorem by MOTSs for a 3-dimensional initial data set $(M,g,K)$ with mean curvature $τ\le0$ in a 4-dimensional spacetime $(\overline M,\overline g)$ when (under suitable assumptions) $M$ has a stable spherical MOTS $Σ$ which achieves an upper bound for the area. H…

Outer automorphism groups of Coxeter groups are trivial except for small ranks.

Study of mean curvature flow on null hypersurfaces leading to MOTS.

We define cusp-decomposable manifolds and prove smooth rigidity within this class of manifolds. These manifolds generally do not admit a nonpositively curved metric but can be decomposed into pieces that are diffeomorphic to finite volume, locally symmetric, negatively curved manifolds with cusps. We prove that the gro…

For a right-angled Artin group $A_Γ$, the untwisted outer automorphism group $U(A_Γ)$ is the subgroup of $Out(A_Γ)$ generated by all of the Laurence-Servatius generators except twists (where a {\em twist} is an automorphisms of the form $v\mapsto vw$ with $vw=wv$). We define a space $Σ_Γ$ on which $U(A_Γ)$ acts properl…

We relate ergodic-theoretic properties of a very small tree or lamination to the behavior of folding and unfolding paths in Outer space that approximate it, and we obtain a criterion for unique ergodicity in both cases. Our main result is that non-unique ergodicity gives rise to a transverse decomposition of the foldin…

Study on symmetric automorphisms of RAAGs, proving finiteness properties and contractibility.

New insights into optimizing Local SGD's outer optimizer for faster convergence.

Criterion for subgroup separability in outer automorphism groups.

Estimates dimensions of maximal simplices for rational and irrational trees in Outer space.

The period mapping assigns to each rank n, marked metric graph Gamma a positive definite quadratic form on H_1(Gamma). This defines maps Phi* and Phi on Culler--Vogtmann's outer space CV_n, and its Torelli space quotient T_n, respectively. The map Phi is a free group analog of the classical period mapping that sends a …

Free groups' automorphisms have bounded orbits.

Study conic singular manifolds, proving Lipschitz normal embedding.

Given a sphere with Bartnik data close to that of a round sphere in Euclidean 3-space, we compute its Bartnik-Bray outer mass to first order in the data's deviation from the standard sphere. The Hawking mass gives a well-known lower bound, and an upper bound is obtained by estimating the mass of a static vacuum extensi…

Motivated by Bonahon's result for hyperbolic surfaces, we construct an analogue of the Patterson-Sullivan-Bowen-Margulis map from the Culler-Vogtmann outer space $CV(F_k)$ into the space of projectivized geodesic currents on a free group. We prove that this map is a topological embedding. We also prove that for every $…

Study improves curvature estimate for stable marginally outer trapped hypersurfaces with a free boundary.

The paper shows symmetries of a geometric space for Coxeter groups.

We show that any vacuum initial data set containing a marginally outer trapped surface S and satisfying a "no KIDs" condition can be perturbed near S so that S becomes strictly outer trapped in the new vacuum initial data set. This, together with the results in [9], gives a precise sense in which generic initial data c…

Outer automorphisms of free products are represented by CTs.

Unfolding paths in Outer space accumulate on a simplex, not converge.