Arithmetic representation growth of virtually free groups (Q6982282)

This article studies arithmetic representation growth for group algebras of finitely generated virtually free groups over finite fields. Extending earlier work by \textit{S. Mozgovoy} and \textit{M. Reineke} [Int. J. Math. 26, No. 12, Article ID 1550100, 19 p. (2015; Zbl 1346.14115)] on quivers and free groups, the author proves that the counting functions \(r_{\mathrm{absim}, d}(q^\alpha)\), \(r_{\mathrm{sim}, d}(q^\alpha)\) and \(r_{\mathrm{ss}, d}(q^\alpha)\), which enumerate absolutely simple, simple and semisimple \(d\)-dimensional representations of \(\mathbb{F}_q[G]\), are polynomial in \(q^\alpha\) for all \(\alpha \ge 1\).\N\NThe main result (Theorem 5.4) generalizes the existence of such counting polynomials to group algebras of virtually free groups \(G\), using a combination of Hall algebra techniques, moduli spaces of representations and structural properties of hereditary algebras. The decomposition of \(G\) as a finite sequence of amalgamated free products and HNN extensions over finite groups is essential to the argument.\N\NA geometric interpretation is also provided: when \(G\) is defined over \(\mathbb{Z}\), the moduli spaces of semisimple and absolutely simple representations over \(\mathbb{C}\) (that is, the \(GL_d(\mathbb{C})\)-character varieties) admit \(E\)-polynomials computable from the same counting polynomials. Explicit computations are carried out in SageMath, with worked examples including \(G = D_\infty\), \(\mathrm{PSL}_2(\mathbb{Z})\), \(\mathrm{SL}_2(\mathbb{Z})\) and \(\mathrm{GL}_2(\mathbb{Z})\).