Hyperbolic towers and independent generic sets in the theory of free groups

We use hyperbolic towers to answer some model theoretic questions around the generic type in the theory of free groups. We show that all the finitely generated models of this theory realize the generic type $p_0$, but that there is a finitely generated model which omits $p_0^{(2)}$. We exhibit a finitely generated model in which there are two maximal independent sets of realizations of the generic type which have different cardinalities. We also show that a free product of homogeneous groups is not necessarily homogeneous.Comment: to appear in Proceedings of the conference "Recent developments in Model Theory", Notre Dame Journal of Formal Logi

Homogeneity in the free group

We show that any non abelian free group \F is strongly $\aleph_0$-homogeneous, i.e. that finite tuples of elements which satisfy the same first-order properties are in the same orbit under \Aut(\F). We give a characterization of elements in finitely generated groups which have the same first-order properties as a primitive element of the free group. We deduce as a consequence that most hyperbolic surface groups are not $\aleph_0$-homogeneous.Comment: 26 page

Arithmetic lattices and weak spectral geometry

This note is an expansion of three lectures given at the workshop "Topology, Complex Analysis and Arithmetic of Hyperbolic Spaces" held at Kyoto University in December of 2006 and will appear in the proceedings for this workshop.Comment: To appear in workshop proceedings for "Topology, Complex Analysis and Arithmetic of Hyperbolic Spaces". Comments welcom

Inflation and topological phase transition driven by exotic smoothness

In this paper we will discuss a model which describes the cause of inflation by a topological transition. The guiding principle is the choice of an exotic smoothness structure for the space-time. Here we consider a space-time with topology $S^{3}\times\mathbb{R}$. In case of an exotic $S^{3}\times\mathbb{R}$, there is a change in the spatial topology from a 3-sphere to a homology 3-sphere which can carry a hyperbolic structure. From the physical point of view, we will discuss the path integral for the Einstein-Hilbert action with respect to a decomposition of the space-time. The inclusion of the boundary terms produces fermionic contributions to the partition function. The expectation value of an area (with respect to some surface) shows an exponential increase, i.e. we obtain inflationary behavior. We will calculate the amount of this increase to be a topological invariant. Then we will describe this transition by an effective model, the Starobinski or $R^{2}$ model which is consistent with the current measurement of the Planck satellite. The spectral index and other observables are also calculated. Finally we obtain a realistic cosmological constant.Comment: 21 pages, no figures, iopart styla, accepted in Advances in High Energy Physics, special issue "Experimental Tests of Quantum Gravity and Exotic Quantum Field Theory Effects (QGEQ)

Graph towers, laminations and their invariant measures

In this paper we present a combinatorial machinery, consisting of a graph tower $\overleftarrow \Gamma$ and vector towers $\overleftarrow v$ on $\overleftarrow \Gamma$, which allows us to efficiently describe all invariant measures $\mu = \mu^{\overleftarrow v}$ on any given shift space over a finite alphabet. The new technology admits a number of direct applications, in particular concerning invariant measures on non-primitive substitution subshifts, minimal subshifts with many ergodic measures, or an efficient calculation of the measure of a given cylinder. It also applies to currents on a free group $F_N$, and in particular the set of projectively fixed currents under the action of a (possibly reducible) endomorphism $\varphi: F_N \to F_N$ is determined, when $\varphi$ is represented by a train track map.Comment: 52 pages, 3 figures. This is rather a new paper than a new version of the old one. The setting is much more general, and also closer to a symbolic dynamics spirit. Also, some of the work from the original paper has been removed and will be taken up in a forthcoming paper. Accepted in Journal of London Mathematical society. To appear 201