Size of matrix coefficients characterizes anisotropic principal series representations of the free group (Q971921)

Let \(\Gamma\) be a noncommutative free group on finitely many generators. The authors introduced in [Duke Math. J. 82, 381--436 (1996; Zbl 0851.22005)] a new class of irreducible representations of \(\Gamma\) that are weakly contained in the regular representation. The representations are realised on \(L^2(\Omega,\nu)\) where \(\nu\) is a probability measure on the combinatorial boundary \(\Omega\) of \(\Gamma\). (We may view \(\Omega\) as the collection of infinite reduced words.) These representations include the principal isotropic and anisotropic series introduced by \textit{A. Figà-Talamanca} and \textit{M. Picardello} [J. Funct. Anal. 47, 281--304 (1982; Zbl 0489.43008)] and by \textit{A. Figà-Talamanca} and \textit{T. Steger} [Mem. Am. Math. Soc. 531 (1994; Zbl 0836.43019)], respectively. The construction of the anisotropic series is more general, so we may consider the isotropic series as a part of the anisotropic series. Now let \(\pi_h\) be a representation arising from the construction in the authors' paper [op. cit.]. The authors showed there that the coefficient \(\varphi_h(x) = \langle 1,\pi_h(x)1\rangle\) satisfies the growth condition \[ \sum_{x\in\Gamma}|\varphi_h(x)|^2 e^{-\varepsilon|x|} = {E_1\over \varepsilon^2} + o\bigg({1\over \varepsilon^2}\bigg) \] where \(E_1\) is a positive constant. (This relates to the growth condition of positive definite functions due to \textit{U. Haagerup} [Invent. Math. 50, 279--293 (1979; Zbl 0408.46046)]. That growth condition tells whether the associated representation is weakly contained in the regular representation.) Moreover, the authors showed that if \(E_1\neq 0\) then the representation is not equivalent to any representation coming from the anisotropic series. In the present paper the authors prove the converse: if \(E_1 = 0\), then \(\pi_h\) is equivalent to \(\chi\otimes\pi_\sigma\) where \(\pi_\sigma\) is in the anisotropic series and \(\chi\) is a character.