Computing fundamental domains for congruence subgroups of SL2

Friday December 4, 12:05--12:55pm, Carslaw 375

Abstract

This is joint work with Lisa Carbone and Leigh Cobbs of Rutgers University.

The Bass-Serre theory of groups acting on trees is vital to the structure theory of certain infinite groups. In this talk, I consider the action of SL₂(F_q((t))) and PGL₂(F_q((t))) on their Bruhat-Tits graph (or building). By quotienting out the action of congruence subgroups, we get a class of graphs called fundamental domains. In addition to their importance in group theory, this construction is believed to give families of expander graphs.

Before our work, very few of these graphs had been explicitly constructed. We used Magma to construct them. These constructions allowed us to make new conjectures on the structure of these graphs, some of which we have been able to prove. We also found and corrected some errors in previously published results.

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After the seminar we will take the speaker to lunch.

See the Algebra Seminar web page for information about other seminars in the series.

James East jamese@maths.usyd.edu.au