On the profinite topology on negatively curved groups (Q1306829)

Let \(G\) be a group. The profinite topology \(PT(G)\) on \(G\) is defined by taking all finite index subgroups of \(G\) to be the base of open neighborhoods of the identity in \(G\). The group \(G\) is residually finite if the trivial subgroup is closed in \(PT(G)\), and \(G\) is locally extended residually finite (LERF) if any finitely generated subgroup of \(G\) is closed in \(PT(G)\). In a previous paper, the author with E. Rips showed that for any finitely generated subgroups \(H\) and \(K\) of a free group \(F\) the double coset \(KH\) is closed in \(PT(F)\). G. Niblo generalized that result showing that finitely generated Fuchsian groups have this property. In this paper, the author shows the following Theorem. Let \(H\) and \(K\) be quasiconvex subgroups of a negatively curved LERF group \(G\). If \(H\) is malnormal in \(G\) then the double coset \(KH\) is closed in \(PT(G)\). (A subgroup \(H\) is malnormal in \(G\) if for any element \(g\notin H\) the intersection of \(H\) and \(gHg^{-1}\) is trivial, and \(G\) is said to be locally quasiconvex if all finitely generated subgroups of \(G\) are quasiconvex in \(G\).) The author points out that the theorem holds in the particular case where \(G\) is the fundamental group of an atoroidal LERF hyperbolic 3-manifold, and \(H\) is the fundamental group of a totally geodesic boundary component of such a manifold.