Finite-index subgroup quasi-isometry 2026-09-24
If is a finite-index subgroup of a finitely generated group , then is finitely generated and its inclusion into is a quasi-isometry. Finite generation follows from Schreier's lemma, while finitely many coset representatives give coarse surjectivity and uniformly bounded distortion.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 iii Paper 133 3 a Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
Identify with the finite-index subgroup . If is a finite generating set for and is a finite set of right-coset representatives, Schreier's lemma gives a finite generating set for , and hence for .
Equip both groups with word metrics from finite generating sets. The inclusion is Lipschitz because each generator of has bounded length in . Conversely, rewriting a word in by tracking its cosets through the finite set expresses an element of as a word of length bounded linearly in its -length. Finally, every element of lies within the maximum word length of an element of from . Thus the inclusion is a finite-index subgroup quasi-isometry, and composing it with the isomorphism proves that and are quasi-isometric.