Uniform non-amenability (Q2573407)

For any finitely generated group \(G\) a uniform constant Føl \(G\geq 0\) is introduced. Such a group \(G\) is called uniformly non-amenable if Føl \(G>0\) and if \(G\) is amenable, then Føl \(G=0\). Some results which relate the Følner constants of a group to those of its subgroups and quotients give that the following classes of groups are uniformly non-amenable : non-abelian free groups, non-elementary world-hyperbolic groups, large groups (i.e. groups containing a finite index subgroup that surjects onto a non-abelian free group), free Burnside groups of large enough odd exponent, and groups acting acylindrically on a simplicial tree without global fixed points. The non-amenability of the Baumslag-Solitar group \(BS(p, q)\) with relatively prime \(p\neq1, q\neq 1\) is also established with uniform Følner constant zero. Amenability can also be characterized from the point of view of representations and then the uniform Kazhdan constant \(K(\lambda_G, G)\) of the left regular representation is related to the Følner constant for \(G\).