Graphical complexes of groups (Q6122746)

Let \(\Gamma\) be a simplicial graph of girth at least \(4\) and let \(W(\Gamma)\) be its associated right-angled Coxeter group. The Davis complex for \(W(\Gamma)\) (see [\textit{M. W. Davis}, The geometry and topology of Coxeter groups. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press (2008; Zbl 1142.20020)]) has a natural structure of a graphical small cancellation complex, in the sense that it is built out of copies of a simplicial cone over \(\Gamma\), with two such copies sharing at most a subgraph of \(\Gamma\) in each copy. Small cancellation conditions of this complex are controlled by the girth of \(\Gamma\). This observation led the author to introduce the concept graphical complexes of groups, which can be thought of as a generalisation of Coxeter groups with 1-dimensional nerves. The author shows that these complexes are strictly developable, and he equips the resulting basic construction with three structures of non-positive curvature: piecewise linear \(\mathrm{CAT}(0)\), \(C(6)\) graphical small cancellation, and a systolic one. He then uses these structures to establish various properties of the fundamental groups of these complexes, such as biautomaticity and the Tits alternative. He isolates an easily checkable condition implying hyperbolicity of the fundamental groups, and constructs some non-hyperbolic examples. He also discusses a parallel theory of \(C(4)\)-\(T(4)\) graphical complexes of groups and outline their basic properties.