Free products in R. Thompson’s group V

Abstract

We investigate some product structures in R. Thompson's group $ V$, primarily by studying the topological dynamics associated with $ V$'s action on the Cantor set C. We draw attention to the class D(V,C) of groups which have embeddings as demonstrative subgroups of V whose class can be used to assist in forming various products. Note that D(V,C) contains all finite groups, the free group on two generators, and Q/Z, and is closed under passing to subgroups and under taking direct products of any member by any finite member. If G≤V and H ∈ D(V,C), then G~H embeds into V. Finally, if G, H ∈ D(V,C), then G*H embeds in V. Using a dynamical approach, we also show the perhaps surprising result that Z2 * Z does not embed in V, even though V has many embedded copies of Z2 and has many embedded copies of free products of various pairs of its subgroups.