Automorphisms of shift spaces and the Higman-Thompson groups: the two-sided case

MaRDI QIDQ6341892zbMATH OpenFDO

Authors James Belk, Collin Bleak, Peter J. Cameron, Feyishayo Olukoya

Publication date 2 June 2020

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Automorphisms of infinite groups (20E36) Word problems, other decision problems, connections with logic and automata (group-theoretic aspects) (20F10) General groups of measure-preserving transformations (28D15) Transformation groups and semigroups (topological aspects) (54H15)

Abstract: In this article, we further explore the nature of a connection between the groups of automorphisms of full shift spaces and the groups of outer automorphisms of the Higman--Thompson groups $G_{n,r}$. We show that the quotient of the group of automorphisms of the (two-sided) shift dynamical system $mathrmAut(X_n^{mathbbN},sigm{a}_n)$ by its centre embeds as a particular subgroup $mathcal{L}_n$ of the outer automorphism group $mathopmathrmOut(G_{n,n-1})$ of $G_{n,n-1}$. It follows by a result of Ryan that we have the following central extension: ${\displaystyle }$langle sigma_{n} angle hookrightarrow mathrm{Aut}(X_n^{mathbb{N}}, sigma_{n}) woheadrightarrow mathcal{L}_{n}${\displaystyle }$ where here, $langlesigm{a}_{n}anglecongmathbbZ$. We prove that this short exact sequence splits if and only if $n$ is not a proper power, and, in all cases, we compute the 2-cocycles and 2-coboundaries for the extension. We also use this central extension to prove that for $1ler<n$, the groups $mathopmathrmOut(G_{n,r})$ are centreless and have undecidable order problem. Note that the group $mathopmathrmOut(G_{n,n-1})$ consists of finite transducers (combinatorial objects arising in automata theory), and elements of the group $mathcal{L}_n$ are easily characterised within $mathopmathrmOut(G_{n,n-1})$ by a simple combinatorial property. In particular, the short exact sequence allows us to determine a new and efficient purely combinatorial representation of elements of $mathrmAut(X_n^{mathbbN},sigm{a}_n)$, and we demonstrate how to compute products using this new representation.

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