The geometry of the consequences of a single Engel relator. (Q2655755)

Let \(A,B\) be a pair of non-commuting elements of a free group \(F\). Let \([A,nB]\) be an iterated left-normed commutator, defined by \([A,0B]=A\), \([A,(k+1)B]=[[A,kB],B]\) for all \(k=0,1,\dots\). The paper develops and extends ideas introduced by the second author in a previous paper, involving the use of cancellation diagrams, to provide the technical machinery for applications in subsequent companion papers. A main goal is to describe some properties -- asphericity, word-problem, local nilpotence -- of a group defined by a suitable set of relators of the form \([A_i,nB_i]\) for \(i=1,\dots,m\) (where \(n\) is fixed).