A characterization of virtually free groups among hyperbolic groups (Q6993460)

In the paper under review, the author characterizes virtually free groups among hyperbolic groups via a novel geometric and language-theoretic condition.\N\NBuilding upon earlier work by \textit{R. H. Gilman} et al. [Arch. Math. 89, No. 4, 289--295 (2007; Zbl 1139.20029)], who characterized virtually free groups in terms of length-reducing rewriting systems and local geodesicity, the author focuses on the recent model for the Gromov boundary proposed by \textit{P. V. Silva} [Pac. J. Math. 263, No. 1, 207--240 (2013; Zbl 1280.20035)]. Specifically, he considers hyperbolic groups admitting a factorial (or prefix-closed) language of unique geodesic representatives, with the additional condition of bounded triangles: whenever two geodesic representatives are at distance at most one and have no common prefix, their combined length is uniformly bounded.\N\NThe main result is: A hyperbolic group admits such a language if and only if it is virtually free (see Theorem 3.2 and Proposition 3.4).