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.