On homotopy types of Euclidean Rips complexes (Q2411819)

Given a fixed finite set of points \(X\) in a metric space, the Vietoris-Rips complex is constructed as a combinatorial simplicial complex based on proximity of neighbors -- its faces are determined by finite subsets of \(X\) of diameter less than some fixed value \(r\). From this complex to the metric space there is a natural ``shadow'' projection map, which has as its image a more accurate \(n\)-dimensional approximation to the homotopy type. \textit{E. W. Chambers} et al. [ibid. 44, No. 1, 75--90 (2010; Zbl 1231.05306)], have previously studied this projection for subsets in \(\mathbb{R}^2\) and they showed that this projection map is \(1\)-connected and that the Vietoris-Rips complex for planar domains accurately captures connectivity and fundamental group data. The authors of this paper follow up on this work, trying to answer whether this projection map preserves the fundamental group for a Vietoris-Rips complex of points in the Euclidean \(3\)-space \(\mathbb{R}^3\). They partially answer this question by proving that the projection map from the Vietoris-Rips complex to its shadow in \(\mathbb{R}^3\) induces a surjection on fundamental groups. The authors further show that Vietoris-Rips complexes of finite subsets of \(\mathbb{R}^n\) are universal, that is, they model all homotopy types of simplicial complexes PL-embeddable in \(\mathbb{R}^n\). In addition, as an application the authors show that any finitely presented group appears as the fundamental group of a Vietoris-Rips complex of a finite subset of \(\mathbb{R}^4\). Finally, they show that if the Vietoris-Rips complex of a finite set in \(\mathbb{R}^2\) is a normal pseudomanifold of dimension at least two then it must be the boundary of a crosspolytope.