Morse quasiflats. I (Q2121386)

The article in review introduces and studies the notion of \emph{Morse quasiflats}, higher-dimensional generalizations of Morse quasi-geodesics. This definition axiomatizes the stability properties satisfied by quasigeodesics in Gromov hyperbolic spaces. The paper is part of a series of two papers. In this first one, the main objectives are: The introduction of potential definitions of Morse quasiflats. Conditions are then found which guarantee that the definitions are equivalent and quasi-isometry invariant. Stability properties for higher-dimensional Morse quasiflats are established, this includes a generalization of the Morse lemma. A criterion for quasiflats to be Morse is provided and examples are given. In CAT(\(0\)) spaces, an easy-to-verify flat half-space criterion is given which generalizes the result of \textit{W. Ballmann} ]Math. Ann. 259, 131--144 (1982; Zbl 0487.53039)]. Theorem 1.11 compares the definitions: Let \(Q \subset X\) be an \((L,A)\)-quasiflat in a proper metric space \(X\). Consider the following conditions: \begin{itemize} \item[(1)] \(Q\) is \((\mu,b)\)-rigid. \item[(2)] \(Q\) has super-Euclidean divergence. \item[(3)] \(Q\) has the cycle contracting property. \item[(4)] \(Q\) has the coarse neck property. \item[(5)] \(Q\) has the coarse piece property. \end{itemize} Then the following hold: \begin{itemize} \item (1) and (2) are equivalent if \(X\) satisfies \((\text{CI}_{n-1})\). \item (1), (2), (3) and (4) are equivalent if \(X\) satisfies \((\text{SCI}_{n-1})\). \item (1), (2), (3), (4) and (5) are equivalent if \(X\) satisfies \((\text{SCI}_n)\). \end{itemize} Furthermore it is shown that for a proper metric space satisfying the strong coning inequalities up to dimension \(n\), where additionally any asymptotic cone of \(X\) has a Lipschitz combing and \(Q \subset X\) being an \(n\)-dimensional quasiflat the following conditions are equivalent and each of them is equivalent to the conditions in Theorem 1.11: \begin{itemize} \item[(1)] \(Q \subset X\) has the asymptotic piece property. \item[(2)] \(Q \subset X\) has the asymptotic neck property. \item[(3)] \(Q \subset X\) has the asymptotic weak neck property. \item[(4)] \(Q \subset X\) has the asymptotic full support property with respect to reduced singular homology. \item[(5)] \(Q \subset X\) has the asymptotic full support property with respect to reduced homology induced by Ambrosio-Kirchheim currents. \end{itemize} The Morse lemma for Morse disks is shown: Proposition 1.16 (Morse lemma for Morse disks). Suppose \(X\) is a complete metric space satisfying condition \((\text{CI}_n)\). Given \((\mu,b)\) as in Definition 6.12 and positive constants \(L, A, A', n\) there exists \(C\) depending only on \(\mu, b, L, A, A', n\) and \(X\) such that the following holds: Let \(D\) and \(D'\) be two \(n\)-dimensional \((L,A)\)-quasi-disks in \(X\) such that \(d_H(\partial D, \partial D') < A'\) and \(D\) is\((\mu, B)\)-rigid. Then \(d_H(D,D') < C\). Examples of Morse quasiflats are given.