Quasi-isometry invariance of group splittings. (Q2387153)

The main result of this paper is the following Theorem: Let \(G\) be a one-ended, finitely presented group that is not commensurable to a surface group. Then, \(G\) splits over a two-ended group if and only if the Cayley graph of \(G\) is separated by a line. Here, a quasi-line in the Cayley graph is a path-connected subspace \(L\) which, equipped with the length metric \(d_L\) induced from the metric \(d\) of the Cayley graph is quasi-isometric to \(\mathbb{R}\) and such that for any two sequences \((x_n)\) and \((y_n)\) in \(L\), we have \(d(x_n,y_n)\to\infty\) if \(d_L(x_n,y_n)\to\infty\). An important consequence of the theorem is the following Corollary: Let \(G_1\) be a one-ended finitely presented group that is not commensurable to a surface group. If \(G_1\) splits over a two-ended group and \(G_2\) is quasi-isometric to \(G_1\) then \(G_2\) also splits over a two-ended group. It is unknown whether the theorem is true for finitely generated groups without further assumptions. -- The author's proof uses the JSJ (Jaco-Shalen-Johannson) decomposition theory for finitely presented groups.