This book offers a panorama of recent advances in the theory of infinite groups. It contains survey papers contributed by leading specialists in group theory and other areas of mathematics. Topics include amenable groups, Kaehler groups, automorphism groups of rooted trees, rigidity, C*-algebras, random walks on groups, pro-p groups, Burnside groups, parafree groups, and Fuchsian groups. The accent is put on strong connections between group theory and other areas of mathematics.

Starting from a few concrete problems such as random walks on the discrete circle and the finite ultrametric space, this book develops the necessary tools for the asymptotic analysis of these processes. Its topics range from the basic theory needed for students new to this area, to advanced topics such as the theory of Green s algebras, the complete analysis of the random matchings, and a presentation of the presentation theory of the symmetric group. This self-contained, detailed study culminates with case-by-case analyses of the cut-off phenomenon discovered by Persi Diaconis."

An accessible and panoramic account of the theory of random walks on groups and graphs, stressing the strong connections of the theory with other branches of mathematics, including geometric and combinatorial group theory, potential analysis, and theoretical computer science. This volume brings together original surveys and research-expository papers from renowned and leading experts, many of whom spoke at the workshop 'Groups, Graphs and Random Walks' celebrating the sixtieth birthday of Wolfgang Woess in Cortona, Italy. Topics include: growth and amenability of groups; Schrodinger operators...

A self-contained introduction to discrete harmonic analysis with an emphasis on the Discrete and Fast Fourier Transforms.