Ihara's zeta function for periodic graphs and its approximation in the amenable case

In this paper, we give a more direct proof of the results by Clair and Mokhtari-Sharghi on the zeta functions of periodic graphs. In particular, using appropriate operator-algebraic techniques, we establish a determinant formula in this context and examine its consequences for the Ihara zeta function. Moreover, we answer in the affirmative one of the questions raised by Grigorchuk and Zuk. Accordingly, we show that the zeta function of a periodic graph with an amenable group action is the limit of the zeta functions of a suitable sequence of finite subgraphs.Comment: 21 pages, 4 figure

Sandpiles, spanning trees, and plane duality

Let G be a connected, loopless multigraph. The sandpile group of G is a finite abelian group associated to G whose order is equal to the number of spanning trees in G. Holroyd et al. used a dynamical process on graphs called rotor-routing to define a simply transitive action of the sandpile group of G on its set of spanning trees. Their definition depends on two pieces of auxiliary data: a choice of a ribbon graph structure on G, and a choice of a root vertex. Chan, Church, and Grochow showed that if G is a planar ribbon graph, it has a canonical rotor-routing action associated to it, i.e., the rotor-routing action is actually independent of the choice of root vertex. It is well-known that the spanning trees of a planar graph G are in canonical bijection with those of its planar dual G*, and furthermore that the sandpile groups of G and G* are isomorphic. Thus, one can ask: are the two rotor-routing actions, of the sandpile group of G on its spanning trees, and of the sandpile group of G* on its spanning trees, compatible under plane duality? In this paper, we give an affirmative answer to this question, which had been conjectured by Baker.Comment: 13 pages, 9 figure

Semiregular automorphisms of vertex-transitive graphs of certain valencies

AbstractIt is shown that a vertex-transitive graph of valency p+1, p a prime, admitting a transitive action of a {2,p}-group, has a non-identity semiregular automorphism. As a consequence, it is proved that a quartic vertex-transitive graph has a non-identity semiregular automorphism, thus giving a partial affirmative answer to the conjecture that all vertex-transitive graphs have such an automorphism and, more generally, that all 2-closed transitive permutation groups contain such an element (see [D. Marušič, On vertex symmetric digraphs, Discrete Math. 36 (1981) 69–81; P.J. Cameron (Ed.), Problems from the Fifteenth British Combinatorial Conference, Discrete Math. 167/168 (1997) 605–615])

Multi-way expanders and imprimitive group actions on graphs

For n at least 2, the concept of n-way expanders was defined by various researchers. Bigger n gives a weaker notion in general, and 2-way expanders coincide with expanders in usual sense. Koji Fujiwara asked whether these concepts are equivalent to that of ordinary expanders for all n for a sequence of Cayley graphs. In this paper, we answer his question in the affirmative. Furthermore, we obtain universal inequalities on multi-way isoperimetric constants on any finite connected vertex-transitive graph, and show that gaps between these constants imply the imprimitivity of the group action on the graph.Comment: Accepted in Int. Math. Res. Notices. 18 pages, rearrange all of the arguments in the proof of Main Theorem (Theorem A) in a much accessible way (v4); 14 pages, appendix splitted into a forthcoming preprint (v3); 17 pages, appendix on noncommutative L_p spaces added (v2); 12 pages, no figure

Group actions on 1-manifolds: a list of very concrete open questions

This text focuses on actions on 1-manifolds. We present a (non exhaustive) list of very concrete open questions in the field, each of which is discussed in some detail and complemented with a large list of references, so that a clear panorama on the subject arises from the lecture.Comment: 21 pages, 2 figure

A convergent string method: Existence and approximation for the Hamiltonian boundary-value problem

This article studies the existence of long-time solutions to the Hamiltonian boundary value problem, and their consistent numerical approximation. Such a boundary value problem is, for example, common in Molecular Dynamics, where one aims at finding a dynamic trajectory that joins a given initial state with a final one, with the evolution being governed by classical (Hamiltonian) dynamics. The setting considered here is sufficiently general so that long time transition trajectories connecting two configurations can be included, provided the total energy $E$ is chosen suitably. In particular, the formulation presented here can be used to detect transition paths between two stable basins and thus to prove the existence of long-time trajectories. The starting point is the formulation of the equation of motion of classical mechanics in the framework of Jacobi's principle; a curve shortening procedure inspired by Birkhoff's method is then developed to find geodesic solutions. This approach can be viewed as a string method

Rank gradient, cost of groups and the rank versus Heegaard genus problem

We study the growth of the rank of subgroups of finite index in residually finite groups, by relating it to the notion of cost. As a by-product, we show that the `Rank vs. Heegaard genus' conjecture on hyperbolic 3-manifolds is incompatible with the `Fixed Price problem' in topological dynamics