1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910782378403321

Autore

Meier John <1965->

Titolo

Groups, graphs, and trees : an introduction to the geometry of infinite groups / / John Meier [[electronic resource]]

Pubbl/distr/stampa

Cambridge : , : Cambridge University Press, , 2008

ISBN

1-107-20152-7

1-281-79121-0

9786611791216

1-139-16750-2

0-511-42394-2

0-511-42442-6

0-511-42279-2

0-511-42213-X

0-511-42345-4

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource (xi, 231 pages) : digital, PDF file(s)

Collana

London Mathematical Society student texts ; ; 73

Disciplina

512/.2

Soggetti

Infinite groups

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Note generali

Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 05 Oct 2015).

Nota di bibliografia

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Nota di contenuto

Preface -- Cayley's theorems -- Groups generated by reflections -- Groups acting on trees -- Baumslag-Solitar groups -- Words and Dehn's word problem -- A finitely-generated, infinite, Torsion group -- Regular languages and normal forms -- The Lamplighter group -- The geometry of infinite groups -- Thompson's group -- The large-scale geometry of groups.

Sommario/riassunto

Presenting groups in a formal, abstract algebraic manner is both useful and powerful, yet it avoids a fascinating geometric perspective on group theory - which is also useful and powerful, particularly in the study of infinite groups. This book presents the modern, geometric approach to group theory, in an accessible and engaging approach to the subject. Topics include group actions, the construction of Cayley graphs, and connections to formal language theory and geometry. Theorems are balanced by specific examples such as Baumslag-Solitar



groups, the Lamplighter group and Thompson's group. Only exposure to undergraduate-level abstract algebra is presumed, and from that base the core techniques and theorems are developed and recent research is explored. Exercises and figures throughout the text encourage the development of geometric intuition. Ideal for advanced undergraduates looking to deepen their understanding of groups, this book will also be of interest to graduate students and researchers as a gentle introduction to geometric group theory.