The combinatoral cost (Q2425365)

Summary: We study the combinatorial analogues of the classical invariants of measurable equivalence relations. We introduce the notion of cost and \(\beta\)-invariants (the analogue of the first \(L^2\)-Betti number introduced by \textit{D. Gaboriau} [Publ. Math., Inst. Hautes Étud. Sci. 95, 93--150 (2002; Zbl 1022.37002)]) for sequences of finite graphs with uniformly bounded vertex degrees and examine the relation of these invariants and the rank gradient resp. \(\mod p\) homology gradient invariants introduced by \textit{M. Lackenby} [Isr. J. Math. 146, 357--370 (2005; Zbl 1066.22008); Large groups, property \((\tau)\) and the cohomology growth of subgroups, Math. Proc. Camb. Phil. Soc. (to appear)] for residually finite groups.