Free groups are $L^2$-subgroup rigid

Abstract

In this paper, we introduce the notion of $L^2$-subgroup rigid groups and demonstrate that free groups are $L^2$-subgroup rigid. As a consequence, we establish the equivalence between compressibility, inertness, strong inertness, and $L^2$-independence for a finitely generated subgroup of a free group, confirming a conjecture by Dicks and Ventura as well as the one by Antolín and Jaikin-Zapirain.