A bicombing that implies a sub-exponential isoperimetric inequality

Abstract

The idea of applying isoperimetric functions to group theory is due to M. Gromov [8], We introduce the concept of a “bicombing of narrow shape” which generalizes the usual notion of bicombing as defined for example in [5], [2], and [10]. Our bicombing is related to but different from the combings defined by M. Bridson [4]. If they Cayley graph of a group with respect to a given set of generators admits a bicombing of narrow shape then the group is finitely presented and satisfies a sub-exponential isoperimetric inequality, as well as a polynomial isodiametric inequality. We give an infinite class of examples which are not bicombable in the usual sense but admit bicombings of narrow shape. © 1993, Edinburgh Mathematical Society. All rights reserved.