Specular sets (Q2358694)

Let \(A\) be a finite alphabet with an involution \(\theta: A\to A\) that has \(i\) orbits with 2 points and \(j\) fixed points. The group \(G_\theta\) generated by \(A\) subject to the relations \(a\theta(a)=\epsilon\) for every \(a\in A\) is called the specular group of type \((i,j)\). It is the free product of the free group of rank \(i\) with \(j\) copies of the 2-element group. The authors study certain subsets of \(G_\theta\) defined in terms of restriction graphs of their elements. Namely, a set \(S\) of reduced words over \(A\) is factorial if \(S\) contains \(A\) and all the factors of its elements, symmetric if \(S\) is closed under taking inverses, and bi-extendable if, for every \(w\in S\), there exist \(a,b\in A\) such that \(awb\in S\). If \(S\) is a bi-extendable set and \(w\in S\), consider the bipartite graph whose vertex set consists of two disjoint copies of \(A\) and whose edge set is \(\{(a,b)\in A\times A\mid awb\in S\}\). Removing isolated vertices from this graph, one obtains the extension graph \(E_S(w)\). A specular set is a symmetric bi-extendable factorial set \(S\) such that \(E_S(w)\) is a tree for every non-empty \(w\in S\) and \(E_S(\epsilon)\) is a union of two disjoint trees. The authors prove several results about specular sets; many of these results extend results about so-called tree subsets in free groups from [\textit{V. Berthé} et al., J. Pure Appl. Algebra 219, No. 7, 2521--2537 (2015; Zbl 1357.68115)].