Curvature distribution and hyperbolicity (Q6110516)

The paper under review deals with the problem when a finitely presented group is hyperbolic. The authors develop a curvature distribution method which is in the spirit of the approach in [\textit{S. V. Ivanov} and \textit{P. E. Schupp}, Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 350, No. 5, 1851--1894 (1998; Zbl 0915.20016); \textit{I. G. Lysenok}, Math. Notes 103, No. 4, 610--615 (2018; Zbl 1392.20027); translation from Mat. Zametki 103, No. 4, 568--575 (2018); \textit{D. Holt} et al., J. Symb. Comput. 104, 419--475 (2021; Zbl 07312489)]. The method is based on the study of the van Kampen diagram and involves a detailed description of a so-called vertex discharge scheme and a curvature distribution scheme. The latter, unlike the vertex discharge scheme, depends on the group presentation. The authors apply their method to presentations of finite extensions of the generalised Fibonacci groups \(F(r,n)\). (The group \(F(r,n)\) is defined by the cyclic presentation \[ \langle x_1,\dots,x_n\mid x_ix_{i+1}\cdots x_{i+(r-1)}=x_{i+r}\; (1\leq i\leq n)\rangle, \] where \(r,n > 1\) and subscripts are taken mod \(n\).) The question of hyperbolicity for \(F(2,n)\) was settled by the first author of the paper under review in [J. Group Theory 24, No. 2, 359--384 (2021; Zbl 1473.20037)]. Now the authors prove that the group \(F(r,n)\) is hyperbolic when \(r\geq 3\) and \(n\geq 6r+1\). They also handle completely the case \(r=3\) and show that \(F(3,n)\) is \begin{itemize} \item finite for \(n=2,3,5,6\); \item hyperbolic for \(n=7\) and \(n\geq 9\); \item not hyperbolic for \(n=4,8\); \item non-elementary hyperbolic for \(n\not= 2,3,4,5,6,8\). \end{itemize} For \(r=3\) in some of the cases the authors use the software package kbmag.