Submanifold projections and hyperbolicity in $\mathrm{Out}(F_n)$

Abstract

The free splitting graph of a free group $F_n$ with $n\ge 2$ generators is a hyperbolic $\mathrm{Out}(F_n)$-graph which has a geometric realization as a sphere graph in the connected sum of $n$ copies of $S^1\times S^2$. We use this realization to construct submanifold projections of the free splitting graph into the free splitting graphs of proper free factors. This is used to construct for $n\ge 3$ a new hyperbolic $\mathrm{Out}(F_n)$-graph. If $n=3$, then every exponentially growing element acts on this graph with positive translation length.

24 pages