Weak \(\mathcal{Z}\)-structures for some classes of groups (Q2441270)

The paper under review is very interesting, useful and well written. It studies some ``nice'' compactifications of spaces on which a given group acts ``nicely''. \textit{M. Bestvina} in [Mich. Math. J. 43, No. 1, 123--139 (1996; Zbl 0872.57005)] tried to formalize the concept of boundary of a group, defining the notion of \(\mathcal Z\)\textit{-structures} and \(\mathcal Z\)\textit{-boundaries} on groups. More precisely, on a given group \(G\) such a \(\mathcal Z\)-structure is defined as a pair of spaces \((\tilde X, Z)\), where \(\tilde X\) is a \textit{Euclidean retract} (namely a compact, metrizable, finite-dimensional, contractible and locally-contractible space), and \(Z\) is a \(Z\)\textit{-set} in \(\tilde X\) (namely a closed subset such that, for every open \(U \subset \tilde X\), the inclusion \(U - Z \hookrightarrow U\) is a homotopy equivalence), satisfying the following two conditions: {\vskip 1mm} (a) \(\tilde X - Z\) admits a co-compact covering space action of \(G\); {\vskip 1mm} (b) for every open cover \(\mathcal U\) of \(\tilde X\), and for any compact \(K \subset \tilde X\), all but finitely many \(G\)-translates of \(K\) are contained in some element \(U\) of \(\mathcal U\). If the pair \((\tilde X, Z)\) satisfies only condition \((a)\), then it is called a \textit{weak \(\mathcal Z\)-structure} on \(G\) and \(Z\) is a \textit{weak \(\mathcal Z\)-boundary} of \(G\) (note that they are not unique). The main class of groups admitting \(\mathcal Z\)-structures is the class of torsion-free word-hyperbolic groups, and M. Bestvina has even asked whether \textit{every} type \(F\) group admits a \(\mathcal Z\)-structure or at least a weak \(\mathcal Z\)-structure. The paper under review deals with this question, and the main theorems prove existence results of weak \(\mathcal Z\)-structures for several classes of groups. More precisely, it is shown that the following classes of groups admit a weak \(\mathcal Z\)-structure: {\vskip 1mm} - extensions of nontrivial type \(F\) groups by nontrivial type \(F\) groups; {\vskip 1mm} - groups of type \(F\) with nontrivial center; {\vskip 1mm} - one-ended groups of type \(F\) with pro-monomorphic fundamental groups at infinity (and then, in particular, groups that are simply connected at infinity). The techniques employed in the proofs make use of geometric group theory, topology at infinity, group actions and proper homotopy theory.