Distortion Elements in Group actions on surfaces

dc.creatorFranks, John
dc.creatorHandel, Michael
dc.date2004-04-29
dc.date2005-03-03
dc.date.accessioned2026-07-07T05:07:48Z
dc.date.available2026-07-07T05:07:48Z
dc.descriptionIf $\G$ is a finitely generated group with generators $\{g_1,...,g_j\}$ then an infinite order element $f \in \G$ is a {\em distortion element} of $\G$ provided $\displaystyle{\liminf_{n \to \infty} |f^n|/n = 0,}$ where $|f^n|$ is the word length of $f^n$ in the generators. Let $S$ be a closed orientable surface and let $\Diff(S)_0$ denote the identity component of the group of $C^1$ diffeomorphisms of $S$. Our main result shows that if $S$ has genus at least two and if $f$ is a distortion element in some finitely generated subgroup of $\Diff(S)_0$, then $\supp(μ) \subset \Fix(f)$ for every $f$-invariant Borel probability measure $μ$. Related results are proved for $S = T^2$ or $S^2$. For $μ$ a Borel probability measure on $S$, denote the group of $C^1$ diffeomorphisms that preserve $μ$ by $\Diff_μ(S)$. We give several applications of our main result showing that certain groups, including a large class of higher rank lattices, admit no homomorphisms to $\Diff_μ(S)$ with infinite image.
dc.identifierhttps://arxiv.org/abs/math/0404532
dc.identifierhttp://arxiv.org/abs/math/0404532
dc.identifier.urihttp://salesiana.dossiersoluciones.com/handle/123456789/71007
dc.subjectDynamical Systems
dc.subject37E30; 57S25
dc.titleDistortion Elements in Group actions on surfaces
dc.typetext

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