Almost convex groups (Q1085276)

Let \(\Gamma\) be the Cayley graph of an infinite group G, with edges labelled by some generating set C \((=C^{-1})\) for G. One may define d(x,y), the distance between vertices x and y of \(\Gamma\), and let \(B(n)=\{x|\) d(x,e)\(\leq n\}\) and \(S(n)=\{x|\) \(d(x,e)=n\}\), where the vertex e is the identity element of G. The graph \(\Gamma\) is called almost convex (k) that exists an integer N(k) such that if x,y\(\in S(n)\), any n, and d(x,y)\(\leq k\) then x and y are joined in B(n) by a path of length \(\leq N(k)\); and \(\Gamma\) is almost convex if it is almost convex (k) for all k. The purpose of the definition is that it provides for an effective construction of \(\Gamma\) : if \(\Gamma\) is almost convex, then there is a finite algorithm that, at stage n, constructs B(n). The paper then goes on to show that many of the groups classically studied in combinatorial group theory (e.g. free products with amalgamation, HNN-extensions, small cancellation) and geometric groups (e.g. cocompact hyperbolic, negative curvature or euclidean) are almost convex.