Digraphs and cycle polynomials for free-by-cyclic groups

TL;DR

This paper introduces a polynomial invariant for free-by-cyclic groups that generalizes McMullen's Teichmüller polynomial, enabling computation of dilatations for a family of outer automorphisms represented by train-track maps.

Contribution

It defines an analog of McMullen's Teichmüller polynomial for free-by-cyclic groups, linking algebraic invariants to geometric properties of automorphisms.

Findings

Defines a polynomial that computes dilatations of outer automorphisms.

Establishes a connection between fibrations of free-by-cyclic groups and train-track maps.

Provides a tool for analyzing automorphisms within a specific cone in cohomology.

Abstract

Let $\phi \in \mbox{Out}(F_n)$ be a free group outer automorphism that can be represented by an expanding, irreducible train-track map. The automorphism $\phi$ determines a free-by-cyclic group $\Gamma=F_n \rtimes_\phi \mathbb Z,$ and a homomorphism $\alpha \in H^1(\Gamma; \mathbb Z)$. By work of Neumann, Bieri-Neumann-Strebel and Dowdall-Kapovich-Leininger, $\alpha$ has an open cone neighborhood $\mathcal A$ in $H^1(\Gamma;\mathbb R)$ whose integral points correspond to other fibrations of $\Gamma$ whose associated outer automorphisms are themselves representable by expanding irreducible train-track maps. In this paper, we define an analog of McMullen's Teichm\"uller polynomial that computes the dilatations of all outer automorphism in $\mathcal A$.