On non-freeness of groups generated by two parabolic matrices with rational parameters: limit points and the orbit test

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Main Authors: Jang, Wonyong, Yi, Dongryung
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Jang, Wonyong
Yi, Dongryung
author_facet Jang, Wonyong
Yi, Dongryung
contents For $α\in \mathbb{R}$, let $$G_α:= \left< \begin{bmatrix} 1 & 1 \\ 0 & 1 \end{bmatrix} , \begin{bmatrix} 1 & 0 \\ α& 1 \end{bmatrix} \right> < \mathrm{SL}_2 (\mathbb{R}).$$ K. Kim and the first author established the orbit test, which provides a sufficient condition for $G_α$ not to be a rank-$2$ free group. In this article, we present two main applications of the orbit test. First, using the corresponding modulo homomorphism, we show that the converse of the orbit test does not hold. In particular, we construct explicit counterexamples, all of which are rational. As another application, we construct sequences of non-free rational numbers converging to $3$. These sequences are given by $$ 3 + \frac{3}{2 (9 n - 1)} \quad \text{and} \quad 3 + \frac{9 n + 5}{3 (2 n + 1) (9 n + 4)},$$ and their construction relies on the orbit test together with a modified Pell's equation.
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id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2512_20524
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle On non-freeness of groups generated by two parabolic matrices with rational parameters: limit points and the orbit test
Jang, Wonyong
Yi, Dongryung
Group Theory
Geometric Topology
Number Theory
For $α\in \mathbb{R}$, let $$G_α:= \left< \begin{bmatrix} 1 & 1 \\ 0 & 1 \end{bmatrix} , \begin{bmatrix} 1 & 0 \\ α& 1 \end{bmatrix} \right> < \mathrm{SL}_2 (\mathbb{R}).$$ K. Kim and the first author established the orbit test, which provides a sufficient condition for $G_α$ not to be a rank-$2$ free group. In this article, we present two main applications of the orbit test. First, using the corresponding modulo homomorphism, we show that the converse of the orbit test does not hold. In particular, we construct explicit counterexamples, all of which are rational. As another application, we construct sequences of non-free rational numbers converging to $3$. These sequences are given by $$ 3 + \frac{3}{2 (9 n - 1)} \quad \text{and} \quad 3 + \frac{9 n + 5}{3 (2 n + 1) (9 n + 4)},$$ and their construction relies on the orbit test together with a modified Pell's equation.
title On non-freeness of groups generated by two parabolic matrices with rational parameters: limit points and the orbit test
topic Group Theory
Geometric Topology
Number Theory
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2512.20524