Simplicial volume of one-relator groups and stable commutator length (Q2092744)

A one-relator group \(G_r\) is a group that admits a presentation \(\langle S\mid r\rangle\) with a single relation \(r\) in the free group \(F(S)\) with generating set \(S\). One-relator groups generalise surface groups and share many properties with them, and form a rich classically studied class of groups in geometric group theory. In the paper under review, the authors first recall simplicial volume of manifolds as well as stable commutator length, and then introduce simplicial volume \(\|G_r\|\) of a one-relator group \(G_r\). If \(r\in F(S)'\), the commutator subgroup of \(F(S)\), they relate the invariant \(\|G_r\|\) to the stable commutator length \(scl_S(r)\) of \(r\), and show that often (though not always) the linear relationship \(\|G_r\|=4 scl_S(r)-2\) holds and that every rational number modulo 1 is the simplicial volume of a one-relator group. Moreover, they show that this relationship holds approximately for proper powers and for elements satisfying the small cancellation condition \(C'(1/N)\), with a multiplicative error of \(O(1/N)\). This allows the authors to prove the following by using an analogous result of Calegari and Walker for stable commutator length: \textbf{Theorem E.} Fix a set \(S\) and let \(r \in F(S)\) be a random reduced element of even length \(n\), conditioned to lie in the commutator subgroup \(F(S)'\). Then for every \(\epsilon >0\) and \(C>1\), \[\bigg|\|G_r\|\cdot\frac{\log n}{ n}-\frac{2}{3}\log(2|S|-1)\bigg|\leq \epsilon\] with probability \(1-O(n^{-C})\).