Amenable actions of amalgamated free products (Q965091)

An action of a group \(G\) on a set \(X\) is amenable if there exists a \(G\)-invariant mean on \(X\), i.e., a map \(\mu: 2^X={\mathcal P}(X)\to[0, 1]\) such that \(\mu(X)= 1\), \(\mu(A\cup B)= \mu(A)+ \mu(B)\) for every pair of disjoint subsets \(A\), \(B\) of \(X\), and \(\mu(gA)= \mu(A)\) for all \(g\in G\) and for all \(A\subset X\). \textit{Y. Glasner} and \textit{N. Monod} [Bull. Lond. Math. Soc. 39, No. 1, 138--150 (2007; Zbl 1207.43002)] proposed to study the class \({\mathcal A}\) of all countable groups which admit a faithful, transitive and amenable action. The class \({\mathcal A}\) is closed under direct products and free products. On the other hand, in general the class is neither closed under passing to subgroups (the case of finite index subgroups is open), nor closed under semidirect products. In this paper, three theorems are proved: 1.~The amalgam \(\mathbb{F}^2*_{\mathbb{Z}}\mathbb{F}^2\) belongs to \({\mathcal A}\), where \(\mathbb{Z}\) embeds in each factor as a subgroup generated by some common word on the generating sets; 2.~for any finite index subgroup \(H\) of \(\mathbb{F}^2*_{\mathbb{Z}}\mathbb{F}^2\) as above, \(H\) belongs to \({\mathcal A}\); 3.~the surface group \(\Gamma_g\) belongs to \({\mathcal A}\) for all \(g\geq 2\).