A group of paths in ℝ²

Abstract

We define a group structure on the set of compact “minimal” paths in <inline-formula content-type="math/mathml"> <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="double-struck upper R squared"> <mml:semantics> <mml:msup> <mml:mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mml:mi mathvariant="double-struck">R</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mn>2</mml:mn> </mml:msup> <mml:annotation encoding="application/x-tex">\mathbb {R}^2</mml:annotation> </mml:semantics> </mml:math> </inline-formula>. We classify all finitely generated subgroups of this group <inline-formula content-type="math/mathml"> <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="upper G"> <mml:semantics> <mml:mi>G</mml:mi> <mml:annotation encoding="application/x-tex">G</mml:annotation> </mml:semantics> </mml:math> </inline-formula>: they are free products of free abelian groups and surface groups. Moreover, each such group occurs in <inline-formula content-type="math/mathml"> <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="upper G"> <mml:semantics> <mml:mi>G</mml:mi> <mml:annotation encoding="application/x-tex">G</mml:annotation> </mml:semantics> </mml:math> </inline-formula>. The subgroups of <inline-formula content-type="math/mathml"> <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="upper G"> <mml:semantics> <mml:mi>G</mml:mi> <mml:annotation encoding="application/x-tex">G</mml:annotation> </mml:semantics> </mml:math> </inline-formula> isomorphic to surface groups arise from certain topological <inline-formula content-type="math/mathml"> <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="1"> <mml:semantics> <mml:mn>1</mml:mn> <mml:annotation encoding="application/x-tex">1</mml:annotation> </mml:semantics> </mml:math> </inline-formula>-forms on the corresponding surfaces. We construct examples of such <inline-formula content-type="math/mathml"> <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="1"> <mml:semantics> <mml:mn>1</mml:mn> <mml:annotation encoding="application/x-tex">1</mml:annotation> </mml:semantics> </mml:math> </inline-formula>-forms for cohomology classes corresponding to certain eigenvectors for the action on cohomology of a pseudo-Anosov diffeomorphism. Using <inline-formula content-type="math/mathml"> <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="upper G"> <mml:semantics> <mml:mi>G</mml:mi> <mml:annotation encoding="application/x-tex">G</mml:annotation> </mml:semantics> </mml:math> </inline-formula> we construct a non-polygonal tiling problem in <inline-formula content-type="math/mathml"> <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="double-struck upper R squared"> <mml:semantics> <mml:msup> <mml:mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mml:mi mathvariant="double-struck">R</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mn>2</mml:mn> </mml:msup> <mml:annotation encoding="application/x-tex">\mathbb {R}^2</mml:annotation> </mml:semantics> </mml:math> </inline-formula>, that is, a finite set of tiles whose corresponding tilings are not equivalent to those of any set of polygonal tiles. The group <inline-formula content-type="math/mathml"> <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="upper G"> <mml:semantics> <mml:mi>G</mml:mi> <mml:annotation encoding="application/x-tex">G</mml:annotation> </mml:semantics> </mml:math> </inline-formula> has applications to combinatorial tiling problems of the type: given a set of tiles <inline-formula content-type="math/mathml"> <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="upper P"> <mml:semantics> <mml:mi>P</mml:mi> <mml:annotation encoding="application/x-tex">P</mml:annotation> </mml:semantics> </mml:math> </inline-formula> and a region <inline-formula content-type="math/mathml"> <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="upper R"> <mml:semantics> <mml:mi>R</mml:mi> <mml:annotation encoding="application/x-tex">R</mml:annotation> </mml:semantics> </mml:math> </inline-formula>, can <inline-formula content-type="math/mathml"> <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="upper R"> <mml:semantics> <mml:mi>R</mml:mi> <mml:annotation encoding="application/x-tex">R</mml:annotation> </mml:semantics> </mml:math> </inline-formula> be tiled by translated copies of tiles in <inline-formula content-type="math/mathml"> <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="upper P"> <mml:semantics> <mml:mi>P</mml:mi> <mml:annotation encoding="application/x-tex">P</mml:annotation> </mml:semantics> </mml:math> </inline-formula>?

Locations

• Transactions of the American Mathematical Society - View - PDF