Stable commutator length on free $\mathbb{Q}$-groups

Abstract

We study stable commutator length on free $\mathbb{Q}$-groups. We prove that every non-identity element has positive stable commutator length, and that the corresponding free group embeds isometrically. We deduce that a non-abelian free $\mathbb{Q}$-group has an infinite-dimensional space of homogeneous quasimorphisms modulo homomorphisms, answering a question of Casals-Ruiz, Garreta, and de la Nuez Gonz{á}lez. We conjecture that stable commutator length is rational on free $\mathbb{Q}$-groups. This is connected to the long-standing problem of rationality on surface groups: indeed, we show that free $\mathbb{Q}$-groups contain isometrically embedded copies of non-orientable surface groups.

arXiv comment14 pages. v2: removed Remark 3.4, which had a mistake, and added Corollary 4.4. v3: final version, to appear in Bulletin of the LMS