Quasi-isometries and ends of groups (Q2366052)

Two metric spaces \((A,d)\), \((A',d')\) are said to be quasi-isometric if there are functions \(f:A \to A'\), \(g:A' \to A\) and constants \(\alpha\), \(\beta\) such that for all \(a, a_ 1, a_ 2 \in A\), \(a',a_ 1',a_ 2' \in A'\) \[ \begin{aligned} d' \bigl( f(a_ 1),f(a_ 2)\bigr) & \leq \alpha d(a_ 1, a_ 2) +\beta, \\ d \bigl( g(a_ 1'),g(a_ 2')\bigr) & \leq \alpha d'(a_ 1',a_ 2')+\beta, \\ d\biggl( a,g \bigl( f(a) \bigl) \biggl) & \leq \alpha,\\ d' \biggl( a',f \bigl( g(a')\bigl) \biggl) & \leq \alpha. \end{aligned} \] Two finitely generated groups are said to be quasi-isometric if their Cayley graphs with respect to chosen finite generating sets are quasi-isometric. This is independent of the choice of finite generating sets. These ideas were originally introduced by M. Gromov. (For further information see [\textit{E. Ghys} and \textit{P. de la Harpe} (eds), Sur les groupes hyperboliques d'après Mikhael Gromov, Progress in Mathematics, 83 (1990; Zbl 0731.20025)]). Let \(X\) be a CW-complex. Two proper rays \(r,s:\) \([0,\infty)\to X\) are said to converge to the same end if there is some compact subset \(C\) of \(X\) and some integer \(k\) such that \(r[k,\infty)\) and \(s[k,\infty)\) lie in the same component of \(X-C\). The property of converging to the same end is an equivalence relation, and the number of equivalence classes is called the number of ends of \(X\). The space \(X\) is said to be semi-stable at infinity if any two proper rays which converge to the same end are properly homotopic. Finally, the space \(X\) is said to be simply connected at infinity if for any compact subset \(C\) of \(X\) there is a compact subset \(D\) containing \(C\) such that any loop in \(X-D\) is null-homotopic in \(X-C\). Let \(G\) be a finitely generated group. The number of ends of \(G\) is defined to be the number of ends of the Cayley graph of \(G\) with respect to some finite generating set \(S\). (This number is independent of the choice of \(S\).) If \(G\) is finitely presented, then \(G\) is said to be semi-stable at infinity if the universal cover of some finite 2-complex \(Y\) with fundamental group \(G\) is semi-stable at infinity. Also \(G\) is said to be simply connected at infinity if \(Y\) is simply connected at infinity. These definitions do not depend upon the choice of \(Y\). In this paper the author proves that the number of ends of a finitely generated group is a quasi-isometry invariant (Corollary 2.3). He also shows that semi-stability and simple connectedness are quasi-isometry invariants of finitely presented groups (Corollary 3.6, Corollary 4.2).