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Abstract

Entropy is a single value that captures the complexity of a group action on a metric space. We are interested in the entropies of a family of ideal pants groups $\Gamma_T$, represented by projective reflection matrices depending on a real parameter $T > 0$. These groups act on convex sets $\Omega_{\Gamma_T}$ which form a metric space with the Hilbert metric. It is known that entropy of $\Gamma_T$ takes values in the interval $\left(\frac{1}{2},1\right]$; however, it has not been proven whether $\frac{1}{2}$ is the sharp lower bound. Using Python programming, we generate approximations of tilings of the convex set in the projective plane and estimate the entropies of these groups with respect to the Hilbert metric. We prove a theorem that, along with the images and data produced by our code, suggests that the lower bound is indeed sharp. This theorem regards the degeneration of the Hilbert metric on the convex set $\Omega_{\Gamma_T}.

Author Bio

Marisa, Marianne, and Andrew did this work as part of the University of Michigan's Laboratory of Geometry Program. They are all undergraduates majoring in mathematics who hope to attend graduate school in the future.

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