Nonabelian free group actions: Markov processes, the Abramov-Rohlin formula and Yuzvinskii's formula

Abstract

This paper introduces Markov chains and processes over nonabelian free groups and semigroups. We prove a formula for the $f$-invariant of a Markov chain over a free group in terms of transition matrices that parallels the classical formula for the entropy a Markov chain. Applications include free group analogues of the Abramov-Rohlin formula for skew-product actions and Yuzvinskii's addition formula for algebraic actions.