Solvable groups with polynomial Dehn functions

Baumslag-Solitar groups Dehn functions finitely presented groups HNN extensions isoperimetric functions metabelian groups solvable groups van Kampen diagrams

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Free products of groups, free products with amalgamation, Higman-Neumann-Neumann extensions, and generalizations (20E06) Generators, relations, and presentations of groups (20F05) Cancellation theory of groups; application of van Kampen diagrams (20F06) Solvable groups, supersolvable groups (20F16) Geometric group theory (20F65) Asymptotic properties of groups (20F69)

Review text

The paper studies the Dehn function \(\delta\) for HNN-extensions \(G=\langle H,t\mid t^{-1}Bt=\psi(B)\rangle\) of finitely presented groups \(H=\langle X\mid R\rangle\) with finitely generated associated subgroups \(B\) and \(\psi(B)\), with \(\psi\) being any monomorphism. In particular, an upper bound for \(\delta\) is found and the first examples of non-polycyclic solvable groups with polynomial Dehn functions are constructed. Let us recall that for a finitely presented group \(H\) of the type mentioned the Dehn function is the minimal function \(\delta\colon\mathbb{N}\to\mathbb{N}\) on the set of positive integers \(\mathbb{N}\) with the following property: If a word \(w\in H\) is equal to \(1\) then there exists a van Kampen diagram over the presentation \(\langle X\mid R\rangle\) with the number of \(2\)-cells at most \(\delta(|w|)\). For background information see \textit{M. Gromov}, Geometric group theory. Volume 2 (1993; Zbl 0841.20039) or \textit{S. M. Gersten}, Publ., Math. Sci. Res. Inst. 23, 195-224 (1992; Zbl 0805.20026). All finitely presented solvable groups that are known to have polynomial Dehn functions are either nilpotent (see \textit{M. Gromov} [loc. cit.], or \textit{C. Pittet} [J. Lond. Math. Soc., II. Ser. 55, No. 3, 588-600 (1997; Zbl 0942.20024)]) or polycyclic (see \textit{C. Drutu} [Pac. J. Math. 185, No. 2, 269-305 (1998; Zbl 0924.22011)]). Define for any function \(f\colon\mathbb{N}\to\mathbb{N}\) the function \(\widetilde f=\max_{i=1,\dots,n}[\max_{a_1+\cdots+a_i=n}(f(a_1)+\cdots+f(a_i))]\). Upper bounds on the Dehn function are obtained by means of the following results: Theorem 1.1. Let \(H=\langle X\mid R\rangle\) be a finitely presented group, \(B=\langle b_1,\dots,b_s \rangle\) be a finitely generated subgroup of \(H\) with \(\{b_1,\dots,b_s\}\subseteq X\), and \(\psi\colon B\to H\) be a monomorphism. Then for the corresponding HNN-extension \(G=\langle H,t\mid t^{-1}b_it=\psi(b_i),\;i=1,\dots,s\rangle\) (with stable letter \(t\)) holds \(\delta_G(n)\preccurlyeq n \delta_H(\widetilde\Delta_B^G(n))\), where \(\Delta_B^G(n)\) is the distortion function of \(B\) in \(G\). In particular: Corollary 1.2. Under the hypothesis of Theorem 1.1., if the natural inclusion \(B\to G\) is a quasi-isometry, then \(\delta_G(n)\preccurlyeq n \delta_H(n)\). Theorem 1.3. Let \(H=\langle X\mid R\rangle\) be a finitely presented group, \(B=\langle b_1,\dots,b_s\rangle\) be a finitely generated normal subgroup of \(H\) and \(\psi\colon B\to B\) be an automorphism. Then for the corresponding HNN-extension \(G=\langle H,t\mid t^{-1}b_it=\psi(b_i),\;i=1,\dots,s\rangle\) holds \(\delta_G(n)\preccurlyeq\delta_H(2^{\widetilde\delta_{H/B}(n)})\). Recall the definition of the Baumslag-Solitar groups \(BS(p,q)=\langle a,t\mid(a^p)^t=a^q\rangle\), where \(p,q\) are positive integers. For \(q>1\) the group \(BS(1,q)\) is metabelian, non-polycyclic, and has an exponential Dehn function. The mentioned examples of finitely presented non-polycyclic soluble (in fact, metabelian) groups with polynomial Dehn function are based on Corollary 1.2 and on the following Theorem 1.4. For any integer \(q>1\) there exists a finitely presented metabelian group \(G(q)\) such that the following conditions hold: (i) \(BS(1,q)\) can be quasi-isometrically embedded into \(G(q)\); (ii) \(G(q)\) has at most the cubic Dehn function. Theorem 1.4. also answers a question of Birget, Ol'shanskij, Rips and Sapir (preprint) about existence of groups \(G(q)\) with the properties mentioned.

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