Length functions, curvature and the dimension of discrete groups (Q5953009)

Let \(X\) be a metric space and \(\gamma\) an isometry of \(X\). The translation length of \(\gamma\) is defined as \(|\gamma|=\inf\{d(x,\gamma x)\mid x\in X\}\) and \(\gamma\) is said to be semisimple if this infimum is attained. Given now a group \(\Gamma\) that admits a proper action by semisimple isometries on a complete CAT(0) space \(X\), the author defines \(\dim_{ss}\Gamma\) to be the minimum of the topological covering dimension of such a space \(X\) admitting such an action of \(\Gamma\). We have always \(\dim_{ss}\Gamma\geq\dim\Gamma\), where \(\dim\Gamma\) is the cohomological dimension of \(\Gamma\). In this paper, the author shows that in general one does not get inequality, even in the case where \(\Gamma\) is the fundamental group of a compact finite-dimensional complex of non-positive curvature. The author shows also that, in contrast to the behaviour of \(\dim\Gamma\), there exist groups \(\Gamma\) and subgroups of finite index \(\Gamma'\subset\Gamma\) such that \(\dim_{ss}\Gamma'<\dim_{ss}\Gamma<\infty\).