Spectral rigidity for primitive elements of \(F_N\). (Q905402)

An action of the free group \(F_n\) of rank \(n\) on a tree is said to be \textit{minimal} if there is no proper invariant subtree. \textit{Outer Space} \(CV_n\) is the space of simplicial, free, minimal, isometric actions of \(F_n\) on simplicial metric trees, up to equivariant homothety. Let \(cv_n\) be the \textit{unprojectivized outer space}, in which trees are considered up to isometry, instead of homothety. The \textit{translation length} of an element \(g\) of a group \(G\) acting on an \(\mathbb R\)-tree \(T\) is defined as \(\| g\|_T=\inf_{x\in T}d_T(x,gx)\). Two trees in the boundary of outer space are said to be \textit{primitive-equivalent} whenever their translation length functions are equal in restriction to the set of primitive elements of \(F_n\). This equivalence relation is explicitly described, showing in particular that it is nontrivial. In proving this, a theorem due to White about the Lipschitz metric on outer space is extended to trees in the boundary. The authors also provide approximation results for trees in the boundary of outer space.