Coarse non-amenability and covers with small eigenvalues. (Q1938425)

Let \(G\) be a residually finite group and \(M\) a closed Riemannian manifold so that there is an epimorphism \(\pi_1(M)\to G\). Then, a filtration of \(G\) with normal subgroups of finite index and trivial intersection induces a tower of finite sheeted regular covers of \(M\). The problem is the study of the asymptotic properties of the first non-zero eigenvalue of the Laplacian of the finite covers. In particular, the problem is the construction of such towers with the eigenvalues bounded away from \(0\) and examples of such covers with the limit being \(0\). In the paper under review, the group \(G\) is chosen to be \(F_2\), the free group on two generators. The filtration of \(F_2\) is taken by considering the square subgroups at each stage, that is the subgroups that are generated by the squares. These form a filtration by characteristic subgroups and, because \(F_2\) is residually finite, their intersection is trivial. The first result of the paper is that the limit of the first non-zero eigenvalues of the Laplacians is \(0\). The main tool in the proof is the result of \textit{R. Brooks} [J. Differ. Geom. 23, 97-107 (1986; Zbl 0576.58033)] which states that the eigenvalues tend to \(0\) if and only if the Cheeger constants of the Cayley graphs of the finite quotient groups \(G/G_n\), determined by the filtration, tend to \(0\). For this, the Cayley graphs under question are identified with the \(\mathbb Z/2\)-homology covers of the ``figure 8''. The result follows from estimates on the Cheeger constant of the \(\mathbb Z/2\)-homology covers. That also implies that \(F_2\) does not have property \(\tau\) with respect to the tower of the subgroups described above. Similar examples of towers were constructed by \textit{R. Brooks} [op. cit. and Bull. Am. Math. Soc., New Ser. 13, 137-140 (1985; Zbl 0579.58031)] and \textit{M. Burger} [C. R. Acad. Sci., Paris, Sér. I 302, 191-194 (1986; Zbl 0585.53035)] where \(G\) was chosen to be an amenable group. The second result of the paper is that the tower of subgroups of \(F_2\) is not uniformly coarsely equivalent to a tower that is coming from an amenable group. That shows that the tower of covers is not uniformly coarsely equivalent to any tower that is constructed from an amenable group.