Subgraph Entropy

Abstract

Given $r \geq 3$, we prove that there exists $λ>0$ depending only on $r$ so that if $G$ is a metric graph of rank $r$ with metric entropy $1$, then there exists a proper subgraph $H$ of $G$ with metric entropy at least $λ$. This answers a question of the second two authors together with Rieck. We interpret this as a graph theoretic version of the Bers Lemma from hyperbolic geometry, and explain some connections to the pressure metric on the Culler-Vogtmann Outer Space.