Bass-Serre theory for groupoids

Abstract

In this paper a Bass-Serre theory in the groupoid setting is developed and a structure theorem is established. Any groupoid action without inversion of edges on a forest induces a graph of groupoids, while any graph of groupoids satisfying certain hypothesis admits a canonical associated groupoid, called the fundamental groupoid, and a forest, called the Bass-Serre forest, such that the fundamental groupoid acts on the Bass-Serre forest. The structure theorem states that these processes are mutually inverse.