On Parabolic Subgroups and Hecke Algebras of Some Fractal Groups

We study the subgroup structure, Hecke algebras, quasi-regular representations, and asymptotic properties of some fractal groups of branch type. We introduce parabolic subgroups, show that they are weakly maximal, and that the corresponding quasi-regular representations are irreducible. These (infinite-dimensional) representations are approximated by finite-dimensional quasi-regular representations. The Hecke algebras associated to these parabolic subgroups are commutative, so the decomposition in irreducible components of the finite quasi-regular representations is given by the double cosets of the parabolic subgroup. Since our results derive from considerations on finite-index subgroups, they also hold for the profinite completions $\hat G$ of the groups G. The representations involved have interesting spectral properties investigated in math.GR/9910102. This paper serves as a group-theoretic counterpart to the studies in the mentionned paper. We study more carefully a few examples of fractal groups, and in doing so exhibit the first example of a torsion-free branch just-infinite group. We also produce a new example of branch just-infinite group of intermediate growth, and provide for it an L-type presentation by generators and relators.