Topology and geometry of random 2-dimensional hypertrees (Q2136844)

A hypertree, or \(\mathbb{Q}\)-acyclic complex, is a higher-dimensional analogue of a tree. This notion originates in work of \textit{G. Kalai} [Isr. J. Math. 45, 337--351 (1983; Zbl 0535.57011)]. In the paper under review, the authors study random 2-dimensional hypertrees according to a ``determinantal'' probability measure used by Kalai in his enumeration and which was introduced by \textit{R. Lyons} [J. Topol. Anal. 1, No. 2, 153--175 (2009; Zbl 1369.05107)]. The authors show that with high probability, a random 2-dimensional hypertree is aspherical, i.e., has a contractible universal cover. They also show that with high probability the fundamental group of a hypertree is hyperbolic and has cohomological dimension 2.