The metric completion of outer space

DOI10.1007/S10711-019-00451-3MaRDI QIDQ2290852zbMATH OpenOpenAlexFDO

Authors Yael Algom-Kfir

Publication date 29 January 2020

Published in Geometriae Dedicata (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/1202.6392

zbMATH Keywords

asymmetric metric spacefree splitting complexmetric completionouter space

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Automorphisms of infinite groups (20E36) Metric geometry (51F99)

Abstract: We develop the theory of a metric completion of an asymmetric metric space. We characterize the points on the boundary of Outer Space that are in the metric completion of Outer Space with the Lipschitz metric. We prove that the simplicial completion, the subset of the completion consisting of simplicial tree actions, is homeomorphic to the free splitting complex. We use this to give a new proof of a theorem by Francaviglia and Martino that the isometry group of Outer Space is homeomorphic to $extOut(F_n)$ for $ngeq3$ and equal to $extPSL(2,mathbbZ)$ for $n=2$.

Review text

This paper studies a metric completion of outer space. First of all, a theory on metric completions of asymmetric metric spaces is developed. Then outer space \(\chi_n\) is introduced. It is an asymmetric metric space with an action of \(\operatorname{Out}(F_n)\) by isometries. Then, the metric completion of outer space is studied. A point on the boundary of \(\hat \chi_n\) is a homothety class of a very small \(F_n\) tree that is not free and simplicial. The set of simplicial trees in the metric completion of outer space is called the simplicial metric completion. There is a homeomorphism between the simplicial metric completion of outer space with the Lipschitz topology and the free splitting complex with the Euclidean topology. This gives rise to a new proof of the following fact: the isometry group of \(\chi_n\) equals \(\operatorname{Out}(F_n)\) for \(n\ge 3\) and \(\operatorname{PSL}(2,\mathbb Z)\) for \(n=2\).

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Cites work

• Actions of higher-rank lattices on free groups.
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• IRREDUCIBLE AUTOMORPHISMS OF $F_{n}$ HAVE NORTH–SOUTH DYNAMICS ON COMPACTIFIED OUTER SPACE
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• The Gromov topology on \({\mathbb{R}}\)-trees
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Cited in

(11)

• The isometry group of outer space
• On the bordification of Outer space
• Asymmetry of outer space of a free product
• Geometry of outer space
• Metric properties of outer space.
• Stable strata of geodesics in outer space
• Thermodynamic metrics on outer space
• Lipschitz metric isometries between outer spaces of virtually free groups
• Asymmetry of outer space.
• Teichmüller spaces and their various metrics
• Spectral rigidity for primitive elements of F_N.

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