The rhombic dodecahedron and semisimple actions of (F_n) on CAT(0) spaces.

DOI10.4064/FM214-1-2zbMATH Open1260.20063arXiv1102.5664OpenAlexW2036775469MaRDI QIDQ3174479FDOQ3174479

Authors: Martin R. Bridson 

Publication date: 14 October 2011

Published in: Fundamenta Mathematicae (Search for Journal in Brave)

Abstract: We consider actions of automorphism groups of free groups by semisimple isometries on complete CAT$(0)$ spaces. If $nge4$ then each of the Nielsen generators of Aut$(F_n)$ has a fixed point. If $n=3$ then either each of the Nielsen generators has a fixed point, or else they are hyperbolic and each Nielsen-generated $$ leaves invariant an isometrically embedded copy of Euclidean 3-space on which it acts as a discrete group of translations with the rhombic dodecahedron as a fundamental domain. An abundance of actions of the second kind is described. Constraints on maps from Aut$(F_n)$ to mapping class groups and linear groups are obtained. If $nge2$ then neither Aut$(F_n)$ nor Out$(F_n)$ is the fundamental group of a compact K"ahler manifold.

Full work available at URL: https://arxiv.org/abs/1102.5664

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zbMATH Keywords

mapping class groupsautomorphism groups of free groupsrhombic dodecahedronactions by semisimple isometriesNielsen generatorscomplete CAT(0) spaces

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Free nonabelian groups (20E05) Automorphisms of infinite groups (20E36) Automorphism groups of groups (20F28) Geometric group theory (20F65) Topological methods in group theory (57M07)

Cited In (6)

• Low-dimensional representations of matrix groups and group actions on \(\mathrm{CAT}(0)\) spaces and manifolds.
• Centralisers of Dehn twist automorphisms of free groups
• The automorphism group of the free group of rank 2 is a \(\text{CAT}(0)\) group.
• Coarse-median preserving automorphisms
• Representations of pure symmetric automorphism groups of RAAGs
• On the first cohomology of automorphism groups of graph groups

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