Let Γ {\displaystyle \Gamma } be a group acting by homeomorphisms on a compact metrizable space M {\displaystyle M} . This action is called a convergence action or a discrete convergence action (and then Γ {\displaystyle \Gamma } is called a convergence group or a discrete convergence group for this action) if for every infinite distinct sequence of elements γ n ∈ Γ {\displaystyle \gamma _{n}\in \Gamma } there exist a subsequence γ n k , k = 1 , 2 , … {\displaystyle \gamma _{n_{k}},k=1,2,\dots } and points a , b ∈ M {\displaystyle a,b\in M} such that the maps γ n k | M ∖ { a } {\displaystyle \gamma _{n_{k}}{\big |}_{M\setminus \{a\}}} converge uniformly on compact subsets to the constant map sending M ∖ { a } {\displaystyle M\setminus \{a\}} to b {\displaystyle b} . Here converging uniformly on compact subsets means that for every open neighborhood U {\displaystyle U} of b {\displaystyle b} in M {\displaystyle M} and every compact K ⊂ M ∖ { a } {\displaystyle K\subset M\setminus \{a\}} there exists an index k 0 ≥ 1 {\displaystyle k_{0}\geq 1} such that for every k ≥ k 0 , {\displaystyle k\geq k_{0},} γ n k ( K ) ⊆ U {\displaystyle \gamma _{n_{k}}(K)\subseteq U} . Note that the "poles" a , b ∈ M {\displaystyle a,b\in M} associated with the subsequence γ n k {\displaystyle \gamma _{n_{k}}} are not required to be distinct.
The above definition of convergence group admits a useful equivalent reformulation in terms of the action of Γ {\displaystyle \Gamma } on the "space of distinct triples" of M {\displaystyle M} . For a set M {\displaystyle M} denote Θ ( M ) := M 3 ∖ Δ ( M ) {\displaystyle \Theta (M):=M^{3}\setminus \Delta (M)} , where Δ ( M ) = { ( a , b , c ) ∈ M 3 ∣ # { a , b , c } ≤ 2 } {\displaystyle \Delta (M)=\{(a,b,c)\in M^{3}\mid \#\{a,b,c\}\leq 2\}} . The set Θ ( M ) {\displaystyle \Theta (M)} is called the "space of distinct triples" for M {\displaystyle M} .
Then the following equivalence is known to hold:2
Let Γ {\displaystyle \Gamma } be a group acting by homeomorphisms on a compact metrizable space M {\displaystyle M} with at least two points. Then this action is a discrete convergence action if and only if the induced action of Γ {\displaystyle \Gamma } on Θ ( M ) {\displaystyle \Theta (M)} is properly discontinuous.
Let Γ {\displaystyle \Gamma } be a group acting by homeomorphisms on a compact metrizable space M {\displaystyle M} with at least three points, and let γ ∈ Γ {\displaystyle \gamma \in \Gamma } . Then it is known (Lemma 3.1 in 4 or Lemma 6.2 in 5) that exactly one of the following occurs:
(1) The element γ {\displaystyle \gamma } has finite order in Γ {\displaystyle \Gamma } ; in this case γ {\displaystyle \gamma } is called elliptic.
(2) The element γ {\displaystyle \gamma } has infinite order in Γ {\displaystyle \Gamma } and the fixed set Fix M ( γ ) {\displaystyle \operatorname {Fix} _{M}(\gamma )} is a single point; in this case γ {\displaystyle \gamma } is called parabolic.
(3) The element γ {\displaystyle \gamma } has infinite order in Γ {\displaystyle \Gamma } and the fixed set Fix M ( γ ) {\displaystyle \operatorname {Fix} _{M}(\gamma )} consists of two distinct points; in this case γ {\displaystyle \gamma } is called loxodromic.
Moreover, for every p ≠ 0 {\displaystyle p\neq 0} the elements γ {\displaystyle \gamma } and γ p {\displaystyle \gamma ^{p}} have the same type. Also in cases (2) and (3) Fix M ( γ ) = Fix M ( γ p ) {\displaystyle \operatorname {Fix} _{M}(\gamma )=\operatorname {Fix} _{M}(\gamma ^{p})} (where p ≠ 0 {\displaystyle p\neq 0} ) and the group ⟨ γ ⟩ {\displaystyle \langle \gamma \rangle } acts properly discontinuously on M ∖ Fix M ( γ ) {\displaystyle M\setminus \operatorname {Fix} _{M}(\gamma )} . Additionally, if γ {\displaystyle \gamma } is loxodromic, then ⟨ γ ⟩ {\displaystyle \langle \gamma \rangle } acts properly discontinuously and cocompactly on M ∖ Fix M ( γ ) {\displaystyle M\setminus \operatorname {Fix} _{M}(\gamma )} .
If γ ∈ Γ {\displaystyle \gamma \in \Gamma } is parabolic with a fixed point a ∈ M {\displaystyle a\in M} then for every x ∈ M {\displaystyle x\in M} one has lim n → ∞ γ n x = lim n → − ∞ γ n x = a {\displaystyle \lim _{n\to \infty }\gamma ^{n}x=\lim _{n\to -\infty }\gamma ^{n}x=a} If γ ∈ Γ {\displaystyle \gamma \in \Gamma } is loxodromic, then Fix M ( γ ) {\displaystyle \operatorname {Fix} _{M}(\gamma )} can be written as Fix M ( γ ) = { a − , a + } {\displaystyle \operatorname {Fix} _{M}(\gamma )=\{a_{-},a_{+}\}} so that for every x ∈ M ∖ { a − } {\displaystyle x\in M\setminus \{a_{-}\}} one has lim n → ∞ γ n x = a + {\displaystyle \lim _{n\to \infty }\gamma ^{n}x=a_{+}} and for every x ∈ M ∖ { a + } {\displaystyle x\in M\setminus \{a_{+}\}} one has lim n → − ∞ γ n x = a − {\displaystyle \lim _{n\to -\infty }\gamma ^{n}x=a_{-}} , and these convergences are uniform on compact subsets of M ∖ { a − , a + } {\displaystyle M\setminus \{a_{-},a_{+}\}} .
A discrete convergence action of a group Γ {\displaystyle \Gamma } on a compact metrizable space M {\displaystyle M} is called uniform (in which case Γ {\displaystyle \Gamma } is called a uniform convergence group) if the action of Γ {\displaystyle \Gamma } on Θ ( M ) {\displaystyle \Theta (M)} is co-compact. Thus Γ {\displaystyle \Gamma } is a uniform convergence group if and only if its action on Θ ( M ) {\displaystyle \Theta (M)} is both properly discontinuous and co-compact.
Let Γ {\displaystyle \Gamma } act on a compact metrizable space M {\displaystyle M} as a discrete convergence group. A point x ∈ M {\displaystyle x\in M} is called a conical limit point (sometimes also called a radial limit point or a point of approximation) if there exist an infinite sequence of distinct elements γ n ∈ Γ {\displaystyle \gamma _{n}\in \Gamma } and distinct points a , b ∈ M {\displaystyle a,b\in M} such that lim n → ∞ γ n x = a {\displaystyle \lim _{n\to \infty }\gamma _{n}x=a} and for every y ∈ M ∖ { x } {\displaystyle y\in M\setminus \{x\}} one has lim n → ∞ γ n y = b {\displaystyle \lim _{n\to \infty }\gamma _{n}y=b} .
An important result of Tukia,6 also independently obtained by Bowditch,78 states:
A discrete convergence group action of a group Γ {\displaystyle \Gamma } on a compact metrizable space M {\displaystyle M} is uniform if and only if every non-isolated point of M {\displaystyle M} is a conical limit point.
It was already observed by Gromov9 that the natural action by translations of a word-hyperbolic group G {\displaystyle G} on its boundary ∂ G {\displaystyle \partial G} is a uniform convergence action (see10 for a formal proof). Bowditch11 proved an important converse, thus obtaining a topological characterization of word-hyperbolic groups:
Theorem. Let G {\displaystyle G} act as a discrete uniform convergence group on a compact metrizable space M {\displaystyle M} with no isolated points. Then the group G {\displaystyle G} is word-hyperbolic and there exists a G {\displaystyle G} -equivariant homeomorphism M → ∂ G {\displaystyle M\to \partial G} .
An isometric action of a group G {\displaystyle G} on the hyperbolic plane H 2 {\displaystyle \mathbb {H} ^{2}} is called geometric if this action is properly discontinuous and cocompact. Every geometric action of G {\displaystyle G} on H 2 {\displaystyle \mathbb {H} ^{2}} induces a uniform convergence action of G {\displaystyle G} on S 1 = ∂ H 2 ≈ ∂ G {\displaystyle \mathbb {S} ^{1}=\partial H^{2}\approx \partial G} . An important result of Tukia (1986),12 Gabai (1992),13 Casson–Jungreis (1994),14 and Freden (1995)15 shows that the converse also holds:
Theorem. If G {\displaystyle G} is a group acting as a discrete uniform convergence group on S 1 {\displaystyle \mathbb {S} ^{1}} then this action is topologically conjugate to an action induced by a geometric action of G {\displaystyle G} on H 2 {\displaystyle \mathbb {H} ^{2}} by isometries.
Note that whenever G {\displaystyle G} acts geometrically on H 2 {\displaystyle \mathbb {H} ^{2}} , the group G {\displaystyle G} is virtually a hyperbolic surface group, that is, G {\displaystyle G} contains a finite index subgroup isomorphic to the fundamental group of a closed hyperbolic surface.
One of the equivalent reformulations of Cannon's conjecture, (posed by James W. Cannon,16 although an earlier and more general conjecture, reducing to the Cannon conjecture for compact type, was given by Gaven J. Martin and Richard K. Skora 17)
These conjectures are in terms of word-hyperbolic groups with boundaries homeomorphic to S 2 {\displaystyle \mathbb {S} ^{2}} , says that if G {\displaystyle G} is a group acting as a discrete uniform convergence group on S 2 {\displaystyle \mathbb {S} ^{2}} then this action is topologically conjugate to an action induced by a geometric action of G {\displaystyle G} on H 3 {\displaystyle \mathbb {H} ^{3}} by isometries. These conjectures still remains open.
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{{Citation last1=Martin | first1=Gaven J. | last2=Skora | first2=Richard K. | title=Group Actions of the 2-Sphere | journal=American Journal of Mathematics | volume=111 | pages=387–402 | publisher=The Johns Hopkins University Press | date=1989 }} /wiki/American_Journal_of_Mathematics ↩
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