A Combination Theorem for Convex Hyperbolic Manifolds, with Applications to Surfaces in 3-Manifolds

We prove the convex combination theorem for hyperbolic n-manifolds. Applications are given both in high dimensions and in 3 dimensions. One consequence is that given two geometrically finite subgroups of a discrete group of isometries of hyperbolic n-space, satisfying a natural condition on their parabolic subgroups, there are finite index subgroups which generate a subgroup that is an amalgamated free product. Constructions of infinite volume hyperbolic n-manifolds are described by gluing lower dimensional manifolds. It is shown that every slope on a cusp of a hyperbolic 3-manifold is a multiple immersed boundary slope. If a 3-manifold contains a maximal surface group not carried by an embedded surface then it contains the fundamental group of a book of I-bundles with more than two pages.Comment: 43 pages, 10 Postscript figures. Minor changes to 2.4, 2.5, 8.1, 8.5. Citations added and correcte

The non-amenability of Schreier graphs for infinite index quasiconvex subgroups of hyperbolic groups

We show that if $H$ is a quasiconvex subgroup of infinite index in a non-elementary hyperbolic group $G$ then the Schreier coset graph $X$ for $G$ relative to $H$ is non-amenable (that is, $X$ has positive Cheeger constant). We present some corollaries regading the Martin boundary and Martin compactification of $X$ and the co-growth of $H$ in $G$.Comment: updated versio

Combination of convergence groups

We state and prove a combination theorem for relatively hyperbolic groups seen as geometrically finite convergence groups. For that, we explain how to contruct a boundary for a group that is an acylindrical amalgamation of relatively hyperbolic groups over a fully quasi-convex subgroup. We apply our result to Sela's theory on limit groups and prove their relative hyperbolicity. We also get a proof of the Howson property for limit groups.Comment: Published in Geometry and Topology at http://www.maths.warwick.ac.uk/gt/GTVol7/paper27.abs.htm

Doubles of groups and hyperbolic LERF 3-manifolds

We show that the quasiconvex subgroups in doubles of certain negatively curved groups are closed in the profinite topology. This allows us to construct the first known large family of hyperbolic 3-manifolds such that any finitely generated subgroup of the fundamental group of any member of the family is closed in the profinite topology.Comment: 32 pages, published versio

Asymptotic invariants, complexity of groups and related problems

We survey results about computational complexity of the word problem in groups, Dehn functions of groups and related problems.Comment: 86 pages. Preliminary version, comments are welcome. v2: some references added, misprints fixed, some changes suggested by the readers are made. 88 pages. v3: more readers' suggestions implemented, index added, the list of references improved. This version is submitted to a journal. v4: The paper is accepted in Bulletin of Mathematical Science