A geometric approach to (semi)-groups defined by automata via dual transducers

We give a geometric approach to groups defined by automata via the notion of enriched dual of an inverse transducer. Using this geometric correspondence we first provide some finiteness results, then we consider groups generated by the dual of Cayley type of machines. Lastly, we address the problem of the study of the action of these groups in the boundary. We show that examples of groups having essentially free actions without critical points lie in the class of groups defined by the transducers whose enriched dual generate a torsion-free semigroup. Finally, we provide necessary and sufficient conditions to have finite Schreier graphs on the boundary yielding to the decidability of the algorithmic problem of checking the existence of Schreier graphs on the boundary whose cardinalities are upper bounded by some fixed integer

Generalizations of the Muller-Schupp theorem and tree-like inverse graphs

We extend the characterization of context-free groups of Muller and Schupp in two ways. We first show that for a quasi-transitive inverse graph $\Gamma$, being quasi-isometric to a tree, or context-free (finitely many end-cones types), or having the automorphism group $Aut(\Gamma)$ that is virtually free, are all equivalent conditions. Furthermore, we add to the previous equivalences a group theoretic analog to the representation theorem of Chomsky-Sch\"utzenberger that is fundamental in solving a weaker version of a conjecture of T. Brough which also extends Muller and Schupp' result to the class of groups that are virtually finitely generated subgroups of direct product of free groups. We show that such groups are precisely those whose word problem is the intersection of a finite number of languages accepted by quasi-transitive, tree-like inverse graphs

Groups and Semigroups Defined by Colorings of Synchronizing Automata

In this paper we combine the algebraic properties of Mealy machines generating self-similar groups and the combinatorial properties of the corresponding deterministic finite automata (DFA). In particular, we relate bounded automata to finitely generated synchronizing automata and characterize finite automata groups in terms of nilpotency of the corresponding DFA. Moreover, we present a decidable sufficient condition to have free semigroups in an automaton group. A series of examples and applications is widely discussed, in particular we show a way to color the De Bruijn automata into Mealy automata whose associated semigroups are free, and we present some structural results related to the associated groups

On periodic points of free inverse monoid endomorphisms

It is proved that the periodic point submonoid of a free inverse monoid endomorphism is always finitely generated. Using Chomsky's hierarchy of languages, we prove that the fixed point submonoid of an endomorphism of a free inverse monoid can be represented by a context-sensitive language but, in general, it cannot be represented by a context-free language.Comment: 18 page

Freeness of automaton groups vs boundary dynamics

We prove that the boundary dynamics of the (semi)group generated by the enriched dual transducer characterizes the algebraic property of being free for an automaton group. We specialize this result to the class of bireversible transducers and we show that the property of being not free is equivalent to the existence of a finite Schreier graph in the boundary of the enriched dual pointed at some essentially non-trivial point. From these results we derive some consequences from the algebraic, algorithmic and dynamical points of view

Fixed points of endomorphisms of graph groups

It is shown, for a given graph group $G$, that the fixed point subgroup Fix$\,\varphi$ is finitely generated for every endomorphism $\varphi$ of $G$ if and only if $G$ is a free product of free abelian groups. The same conditions hold for the subgroup of periodic points. Similar results are obtained for automorphisms, if the dependence graph of $G$ is a transitive forest.Comment: 9 page