On the measure of definable sets in profinite groups

Abstract

We study the (Haar) measure of verbal sets in profinite groups, and especially in free profinite groups. Relating the measure of a verbal set with the width of the corresponding word, we find verbal sets of positive measure different from one. We prove a sufficient condition for the measure of a verbal set to be zero in a free profinite group of finite rank, from which we deduce that certain existentially definable sets in free profinite groups of finite rank can only have measure zero or one. Finally, we compute the measure of definable sets in torsion-free finitely generated abelian groups.

33 pages. Comments welcome!