Growth of certain non-positively curved cube groups (Q1580677)

A finite generating set \(A\) of a group \(G\) determines a length function \(\ell\) on \(G\) which is used to define the growth function (series) of \(G\) as \[ f(t)=\sum_{g\in G}t^{\ell(g)}=\sum_{n\geq 0}(\text{card }B_n)t^n, \] where \(B_n\) is the ball of radius \(n\) in the Cayley graph \({\mathcal C}_A(G)\). It is rational if it is the power series expansion of a rational function of \(t\). The main question of the paper under review is: for what infinite groups \(G\) there exists a finite generating set \(A\) such that the growth function of \(G\) with respect to \(A\) is rational? The author applies the method of \textit{G. A. Niblo} and \textit{L. D. Reeves} [Topology 37, No. 3, 621-633 (1998; Zbl 0911.57002)] to certain groups acting on CAT(0) cube complexes. The main result of the paper under review is the following Theorem 1.1. Let \(G\) be a group acting cellularly on a locally finite CAT(0) cube complex \(X\) and suppose that the action is simply transitive on the vertices of \(X\). Let \(A\) be a generating set of \(G\) consisting of elements moving the fixed base vertex of \(X\) by a distance 1 apart relative to a graph metric on a 1-skeleton of \(X\). Then \(A\) satisfies the falsification by fellow traveller property. In particular, the set of \(A\)-geodesic words forms a regular language and the growth function of \(G\) with respect to \(A\) is rational. Here the main criterion for rationality of growth functions is to have the following condition on the generating set \(A\): any word in the generators \(A\) which is not geodesic has a close neighbour which is shorter (see Proposition 4.2 of [loc. cit.] for details of definitions and the proof of this criterion). In [loc. cit.] this criterion is called falsification by fellow traveller. As a corollary of Theorem 1.1 the author obtains the rationality of growth functions for certain small cancellation groups. Also it is proved as Theorem 1.4: The standard generating set \(A\) of an irreducible affine Coxeter group satisfies the falsification by fellow traveller property.