A characterization of Fuchsian groups of convergent type (Q798442)

Suppose G is a finitely generated Fuchsian group of the first kind and \(G_ 1\) is a subgroup of G. The main result of this paper gives a purely group-theoretic criterion on \(G_ 1\) to decide whether \(G_ 1\) is of divergence type. This criterion is given in terms of a certain random walk on \(G/G_ 1\) but as the precise statement takes considerable preparation it will not be given here. The proof is based on an interesting new description of the action of G on the hyperbolic plane by that on a graph which takes into account the parabolic elements, and on which a simpler random walk is constructed than that referred to above, but which describes those properties needed for the paper. This is the main contribution of this paper; the remainder of the proof depends directly on the author's paper [Ann. Inst. Fourier 34, No.2, 243-269 (1984; Zbl 0523.60071)].