576 research outputs found
Hierarchically hyperbolic spaces I: curve complexes for cubical groups
In the context of CAT(0) cubical groups, we develop an analogue of the theory
of curve complexes and subsurface projections. The role of the subsurfaces is
played by a collection of convex subcomplexes called a \emph{factor system},
and the role of the curve graph is played by the \emph{contact graph}. There
are a number of close parallels between the contact graph and the curve graph,
including hyperbolicity, acylindricity of the action, the existence of
hierarchy paths, and a Masur--Minsky-style distance formula.
We then define a \emph{hierarchically hyperbolic space}; the class of such
spaces includes a wide class of cubical groups (including all virtually compact
special groups) as well as mapping class groups and Teichm\"{u}ller space with
any of the standard metrics. We deduce a number of results about these spaces,
all of which are new for cubical or mapping class groups, and most of which are
new for both. We show that the quasi-Lipschitz image from a ball in a nilpotent
Lie group into a hierarchically hyperbolic space lies close to a product of
hierarchy geodesics. We also prove a rank theorem for hierarchically hyperbolic
spaces; this generalizes results of Behrstock--Minsky, Eskin--Masur--Rafi,
Hamenst\"{a}dt, and Kleiner. We finally prove that each hierarchically
hyperbolic group admits an acylindrical action on a hyperbolic space. This
acylindricity result is new for cubical groups, in which case the hyperbolic
space admitting the action is the contact graph; in the case of the mapping
class group, this provides a new proof of a theorem of Bowditch.Comment: To appear in "Geometry and Topology". This version incorporates the
referee's comment
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