Minimal exponential growth rates of metabelian Baumslag-Solitar groups and lamplighter groups (Q2357409)

Summary: We prove that for any prime \(p \geq 3\) the minimal exponential growth rate of the Baumslag-Solitar group BS\((1,p)\) and the lamplighter group \(\mathcal{L}_p=(\mathbb{Z}/p\mathbb{Z})\wr \mathbb{Z}\) are equal. We also show that for \(p=2\) this claim is not true and the growth rate of BS\((1,2)\) is equal to the positive root of \(x^3-x^2-2\), whilst the one of the lamplighter group \(\mathcal{L}_2\) is equal to the golden ratio \((1+\sqrt5)/2\). The latter value also serves to show that the lower bound of \textit{A. Mann} from [J. Algebra 326, No. 1, 208--217 (2011; Zbl 1231.20027)] for the growth rates of non-semidirect HNN extensions is optimal.