Non-hyperbolic automatic groups and groups acting on CAT(0) cube complexes

Abstract

Abstract. We discuss a problem posed by Gersten: Is every automatic group which does not contain Z + Z subgroup, hyperbolic? To study this question, we define the notion of "n-tracks of length n", which is a structure like Z + Z, and prove its existence in the non-hyperbolic automatic groups with mild conditions. As an application, we show that if a group acts effectively, cellularly, properly discontinuously and cocompactly on a CAT(0) cube complex and its quotient is "weakly special", then the above question is answered affirmatively.