For each finite ordinal n, and each locally-finite group G of cardinality aleph-sub-n, we construct an (n+1)-dimensional, contractible CW-complex on which G acts with finite stabilizers. We use the complex to obtain information about cohomology with induced coefficients. Our techniques also give information about the location of some large free abelian groups in the hierarchy HF.
We investigate the structure of the minimal displacement set in $8$-located complexes with the SD'-property. We show that such set embeds isometrically into the complex. Since $8$-location and simple connectivity imply Gromov hyperbolicity, the minimal displacement set in such complex is systolic. Using these results, we construct a low-dimensional classifying space for the family of virtually cyclic subgroups of a group acting properly on an $8$-located complex with the SD'-property.
Ostrom and Wagner (1959) proved that if the automorphism group $G$ of a finite projective plane $π$ acts $2$-transitively on the points of $π$, then $π$ is isomorphic to the Desarguesian projective plane and $G$ is isomorphic to $\mathrm{PΓL}(3,q)$ (for some prime-power $q$). In the more general case of a finite rank $2$ irreducible spherical building, also known as a \emph{generalized polygon}, the theorem of Fong and Seitz (1973) gave a classification of the \emph{Moufang} examples. A conjecture of Kantor, made in print in 1991, says that there are only two non-classical examples of flag-tra…
For any right-angled Artin group $A_Γ$ we construct a finite-dimensional space $\mathcal{O}_Γ$ on which the group $\text{Out}(A_Γ)$ of outer automorphisms of $A_Γ$ acts with finite point stabilizers. We prove that $\mathcal{O}_Γ$ is contractible, so that the quotient is a rational classifying space for $\text{Out}(A_Γ)$. The space $\mathcal{O}_Γ$ blends features of the symmetric space of lattices in $\mathbb{R}^n$ with those of Outer space for the free group $F_n$. Points in $\mathcal{O}_Γ$ are locally CAT(0) metric spaces that are homeomorphic (but not isometric) to certain locally CAT(0) cub…