Embeddings of discrete groups and the speed of random walks

TL;DR

This paper investigates the embeddings of finitely generated groups into Banach spaces, establishing bounds on compression exponents related to random walk behavior, and applies these results to specific groups and embedding problems.

Contribution

It introduces new bounds linking group embeddings, random walk properties, and Banach space geometry, generalizing previous theorems and answering open questions.

Findings

Bound lpha^#_X(G) by the modulus of smoothness of X and the random walk exponent eta^*(G)

Established lpha^*(Gwr \u211a) bounds based on lpha^*(G)

Embedded cyclic lamplighter groups into L_1 with bounded distortion

Abstract

For a finitely generated group G and a banach space X let \alpha^*_X(G) (respectively \alpha^#_X(G)) be the supremum over all \alpha\ge 0 such that there exists a Lipschitz mapping (respectively an equivariant mapping) f:G\to X and c>0 such that for all x,y\in G we have \|f(x)-f(y)\|\ge c\cdot d_G(x,y)^\alpha. In particular, the Hilbert compression exponent (respectively the equivariant Hilbert compression exponent) of G is \alpha^*(G)=\alpha^*_{L_2}(G) (respectively \alpha^#(G)= \alpha_{L_2}^#(G)). We show that if X has modulus of smoothness of power type p, then \alpha^#_X(G)\le \frac{1}{p\beta^*(G)}. Here \beta^*(G) is the largest \beta\ge 0 for which there exists a set of generators S of G and c>0 such that for all t\in \N we have \E\big[d_G(W_t,e)\big]\ge ct^\beta, where \{W_t\}_{t=0}^\infty is the canonical simple random walk on the Cayley graph of G determined by S, starting at the identity element. This result is sharp when X=L_p, generalizes a theorem of Guentner and Kaminker and answers a question posed by Tessera. We also show that if \alpha^*(G)\ge 1/2 then \alpha^*(G\bwr \Z)\ge \frac{2\alpha^*(G)}{2\alpha^*(G)+1}. This improves the previous bound due to Stalder and ValetteWe deduce that if we write \Z_{(1)}= \Z and \Z_{(k+1)}\coloneqq \Z_{(k)}\bwr \Z then \alpha^*(\Z_{(k)})=\frac{1}{2-2^{1-k}}, and use this result to answer a question posed by Tessera in on the relation between the Hilbert compression exponent and the isoperimetric profile of the balls in G. We also show that the cyclic lamplighter groups C_2\bwr C_n embed into L_1 with uniformly bounded distortion, answering a question posed by Lee, Naor and Peres. Finally, we use these results to show that edge Markov type need not imply Enflo type.