A combination theorem for metric bundles (Q1934650)

The article under review proves a general combination theorem for hyperbolic metric spaces, which provides generalizations of and complements to combination results of \textit{M. Bestvina} and \textit{M. Feighn} [J. Differ. Geom. 35, No. 1, 85--102 (1992; Zbl 0724.57029)], \textit{L. Mosher} [J. Pure Appl. Algebra 110, No. 3, 305--314 (1996; Zbl 0851.20037)], and \textit{U. Hamenstädt} [Word hyperbolic extensions of surface groups; \url{arXiv:math/0505244}]. The main result of the paper is the following: let \(p:X\to B\) be a metric bundle such that \(B\) is a Gromov--hyperbolic metric space, each fiber of \(p\) is a Gromov--hyperbolic metric space, the barycenter maps on the fibers are uniformly coarsely surjective, and such that a certain flaring condition is satisfied. Then \(X\) is a hyperbolic metric space. Though some care must be taken in defining all the terms in the statement of the main result, the theorem has some important consequences. For instance, the authors show that if \(1\to K\to G\to Q\to 1\) is a short exact sequence of finitely generated groups such that a flaring condition is satisfied, \(K\) and \(Q\) are hyperbolic, and such that \(K\) is non--elementary, then \(G\) is hyperbolic. An important aspect of the main result is that the properness of \(B\) is not assumed, and neither is the existence of totally geodesic sections. The dropping of these hypotheses gives a strengthening of a combination theorem due to Hamenstädt.