Index realization for automorphisms of free groups

For any surface $\Sigma$ of genus $g \geq 1$ and (essentially) any collection of positive integers $i_1, i_2, \ldots, i_\ell$ with $i_1+\cdots +i_\ell = 4g-4$ Masur and Smillie have shown that there exists a pseudo-Anosov homeomorphism $h:\Sigma \to \Sigma$ with precisely $\ell$ singularities $S_1, \ldots, S_\ell$ in its stable foliation $\cal L$, such that $\cal L$ has precisely $i_k+2$ separatrices raying out from each $S_k$. In this paper we prove the analogue of this result for automorphisms of a free group $F_N$, where "pseudo-Anosov homeomorphism" is replaced by "fully irreducible automorphism" and the Gauss-Bonnet equality $i_1+\cdots +i_\ell = 4g-4$ is replaced by the index inequality $i_1+\cdots +i_\ell \leq 2N-2$ from Gaboriau, Jaeger, Levitt and Lustig.Comment: 19 pages, 3 figures, 1 table, revised version for publicatio

Patterson-Sullivan currents, generic stretching factors and the asymmetric Lipschitz metric for Outer space

We quantitatively relate the Patterson-Sullivant currents and generic stretching factors for free group automorphisms to the asymmetric Lipschitz metric on Outer space and to Guirardel's intersection number.Comment: some minor updates and revisions; 18 pages, no figures; to appear in the Pacific Journal of Mathematic

High distance Heegaard splittings via fat train tracks

We define "fat" train tracks and use them to give a combinatorial criterion for the Hempel distance of Heegaard splittings for closed orientable 3-manifolds. We apply this criterion to 3-manifolds obtained from surgery on knots in the three sphere.Comment: 25 pages no figures. to appear in Proceedings of "Knots Groups and 3-manifolds" Marseilles France 200

Perron-Frobenius theory and frequency convergence for reducible substitutions

We prove a general version of the classical Perron-Frobenius convergence property for reducible matrices. We then apply this result to reducible substitutions and use it to produce limit frequencies for factors and hence invariant measures on the associated subshift. The analogous results are well known for primitive substitutions and have found many applications, but for reducible substitutions the tools provided here were so far missing from the theory.Comment: v.2 Minor revisions for submissio