Property (T) in density-type models of random groups (Q6062665)

The paper studies property (T) for random groups. Fix \(n\ge 2\), \(k\ge 3\) and \(0<d<1\). The (strict) \((n, k, d)\) model is defined as follows: Let \(A_n=\{a_1, \ldots, a_n\}\) and let \(F_n={\mathbb F}(A_n)\) be the free group with free basis \(A_n\). Let \({\mathcal C}(n,k)\) be the set of cyclically reduced words of length \(k\) in \(F_n\) (so \(|{\mathcal C}(n,k)|\sim (2n-1)^k\)). Uniformly randomly select a set \(R\subset {\mathcal C}(n, k)\) of size \(R=(2n-1)^{kd}\) and let \(\Gamma=\langle A_n| R\rangle \). Such a \(\Gamma\) is called a random group in the (strict) \((n, k, d)\) model and is denoted by \(\Gamma\sim\Gamma(n, k, d)\). If we keep \(n\) fixed and let \(k\) tend to infinity then we obtain the Gromov density model, whereas if we fix \(k\) and let \(n\) tend to infinity, we obtain the \(k\)-angular model. The first main result in the paper concerns property (T) for random groups in the \(k\)-angular model. Given \(k\ge 3\), define \(d_k\) by: \[ d_k=\left\{ \begin{array}{ll} \frac{1}{3} & \text{if } k\equiv 0 \text{ mod } 3,\\ \frac{k+2}{3k} & \text{if } k\equiv 1 \text{ mod } 3,\\ \frac{k+1}{3k} & \text{if } k\equiv 2 \text{ mod } 3. \end{array}\right. \] Theorem A in the paper states that if \(k\ge 8\), \(d>d_k\) then \(\Gamma_n\sim \Gamma(n,k,d)\) has property (T) almost surely (with probability tending to \(1\) ) when \(n\rightarrow \infty\). The cases \(k=4,5,7\) are still open. This result generalizes previous results about the \(3k\)-angular case. The second main result concerns property (T) for random groups in the Gromov density model. Theorem B states that if \(n\ge 2\) and \(d>\frac{1}{3}\), then \(\Gamma_k\sim \Gamma(n, k, d)\) has property (T) almost surely as \(k\rightarrow \infty\). This result completes the analysis of property (T) in the Gromov density model for \(d>\frac{1}{3}\). The approach for property (T) in the paper is to use the spectral condition that was independently discovered by \textit{W. Ballmann} and \textit{J. Świątkowski} [Geom. Funct. Anal. 7, No. 4, 615--645 (1997; Zbl 0897.22007)] and \textit{A. Żuk} [C. R. Acad. Sci., Paris, Sér. I 323, No. 5, 453--458 (1996; Zbl 0858.22007)]. The author associates a graph \(\Delta_k(\Gamma)\) to \(\Gamma\sim \Gamma(n,k,d)\) and applies the above spectral condition to provide an alternate criterion for property (T) in terms of the first eigenvalue of \(\Delta_k(\Gamma)\). The bulk of the paper then analyses the eigenvalues of these random graphs. A similar graph was used by \textit{C. Druţu} and \textit{J. M. Mackay} [Adv. Math. 341, 188--254 (2019; Zbl 1452.20037)] in the case \(k\equiv 0 \text{ mod } 3\).