The context-free quasigeodesic characterization of hyperbolic groups

Let GG be a finitely generated group. For rational λ≥1\lambda\geq 1, real ϵ≥0\epsilon\geq 0, and a finite generating set SS, consider the language of (λ,ϵ)(\lambda,\epsilon)-quasigeodesics in the Cayley graph Γ(G,S)\Gamma(G,S). Say that GG has the QCF\mathbb{Q}\mathrm{CF} property when all these languages are context-free. Context-free quasigeodesic conjecture. A finitely generated group is hyperbolic if and only if it has the QCF\mathbb{Q}\mathrm{CF} property. This would extend the characterization of hyperbolic groups by regular quasigeodesic languages; the paper proves failure of the property for groups containing suitable undistorted nilpotent or Baumslag–Solitar subgroups, but the general converse remains open.

References

Primary source

Arya Saranathan, “Quasigeodesic languages are not context-free in some non-hyperbolic groups”, arXiv:2601.12520 (2026).

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