The large-scale geometry of some metabelian groups. (Q1885575)

The paper under review considers the upper triangular subgroups \(\Gamma_n\) of \(\text{PSL}_2(\mathbb{Z}[1/n])\), describes their self-quasi-isometries and classifies them up to a quasi-isometry. In particular, it is shown that 1. \(\Gamma_n\) and \(\Gamma_m\) are quasi-isometric if and only if given the prime decompositions \(n=p_1^{e_1}p_2^{e_2}\cdots p_k^{e_k}\) and \(m=q^{f_1}_1q^{f_2}_2\cdots q^{f_l}_l\) of integers \(n\), \(m\) one has \(k=l\) and \(p_i=q_i\) possibly after re-ordering; 2. the quasi-isometry group of \(\Gamma_n\), \(n=p^{e_1}_1\cdots p^{e_k}_k\) is isomorphic to \[ \text{Bilip}(\mathbb{R})\times\text{Bilip}(\mathbb{Q}_{p_1})\times\cdots\times\text{Bilip}(\mathbb{Q}_{p_k}); \] 3. \(\Gamma_n\) is quasi-isometrically rigid. For \(n=p\) prime, \(\Gamma_n\) is isomorphic to the solvable Baumslag-Solitar group \(\text{BS}(1,p^2)\), and the results of this paper generalize those of \textit{B. Farb} and \textit{L. Mosher} [Invent. Math. 131, No.~2, 419-451 (1998; Zbl 0937.22003)]. The authors show that the above results for \(\Gamma_n\) extend to a larger class of groups \(\Gamma(S)=\langle a_1,\dots,a_k, b\mid a^{-1}_iba_i=b^{n_i}\), \(a_ia_j=a_ja_i\), \(i\neq j\rangle\), where \((n_i,n_j)=1\) \(i\neq j\). To prove the results, the authors analyze quasi-isometries of the model space \(X_n\), which is a warped product of \(\mathbb{R}\) and a product of trees, and on which \(\Gamma_n\) acts properly discontinuously and co-compactly by isometries.