On maximal subgroups of Thompson’s group $F$

Abstract

We study subgroups of Thompson’s group $F$ by means of an automaton associated with them. We prove that every maximal subgroup of $F$ of infinite index is closed, that is, it coincides with the subgroup of $F$ accepted by the automaton associated with it. It follows that every finitely generated maximal subgroup of $F$ is undistorted in $F$. We also prove that every finitely generated subgroup of $F$ is contained in a finitely generated maximal subgroup of $F$ and construct an infinite family of non-isomorphic maximal subgroups of infinite index in $F$.