The 'degree of k-step nilpotence' of a finite group G is the proportion of the tuples (x1, . . . , x k+1 ) ∈ G k+1 for which the simple commutator [x1, . . . , x k+1 ] is equal to the identity. In this paper we study versions of this for an infinite group G, with the degree of nilpotence defined by sampling G in various natural ways, such as with a random walk, or with a Følner sequence if G is amenable. In our first main result we show that if G is finitely generated then the degree of k-step nilpotence is positive if and only if G is virtually k-step nilpotent (Theorem 1.5). This generalises both an earlier result of the second author treating the case k = 1 and a result of Shalev for finite groups, and uses techniques from both of these earlier results. We also show, using the notion of polynomial mappings of groups developed by Leibman and others, that to a large extent the degree of nilpotence does not depend on the method of sampling (Theorem 1.12). As part of our argument we generalise a result of Leibman by showing that if ϕ is a polynomial mapping into a torsion-free nilpotent group then the set of roots of ϕ is sparse in a certain sense (Theorem 5.1). In our second main result we consider the case where G is residually finite but not necessarily finitely generated.Here we show that if the degree of k-step nilpotence of the finite quotients of G is uniformly bounded from below then G is virtually k-step nilpotent (Theorem 1.19), answering a question of Shalev. As part of our proof we show that degree of nilpotence of finite groups is sub-multiplicative with respect to quotients (Theorem 1.20), generalising a result of Gallagher. Contents 12 6. Finite quotients 16 7. Dependence on rank 23 Appendix A. Polynomial mappings into torsion-free nilpotent groups 27 Appendix B. Hyperbolic groups 28 References 30

The 'degree of k-step nilpotence' of a finite group G is the proportion of the tuples (x1, . . . , x k+1 ) ∈ G k+1 for which the simple commutator [x1, . . . , x k+1 ] is equal to the identity. In this paper we study versions of this for an infinite group G, with the degree of nilpotence defined by sampling G in various natural ways, such as with a random walk, or with a Følner sequence if G is amenable. In our first main result we show that if G is finitely generated then the degree of k-step nilpotence is positive if and only if G is virtually k-step nilpotent (Theorem 1.5). This generalises both an earlier result of the second author treating the case k = 1 and a result of Shalev for finite groups, and uses techniques from both of these earlier results. We also show, using the notion of polynomial mappings of groups developed by Leibman and others, that to a large extent the degree of nilpotence does not depend on the method of sampling (Theorem 1.12). As part of our argument we generalise a result of Leibman by showing that if ϕ is a polynomial mapping into a torsion-free nilpotent group then the set of roots of ϕ is sparse in a certain sense (Theorem 5.1). In our second main result we consider the case where G is residually finite but not necessarily finitely generated.Here we show that if the degree of k-step nilpotence of the finite quotients of G is uniformly bounded from below then G is virtually k-step nilpotent (Theorem 1.19), answering a question of Shalev. As part of our proof we show that degree of nilpotence of finite groups is sub-multiplicative with respect to quotients (Theorem 1.20), generalising a result of Gallagher.

The architecture of infinite structures with non-crystallographic symmetries can be modelled via aperiodic tilings, but a systematic construction method for finite structures with non-crystallographic symmetry at different radial levels is still lacking. This paper presents a group theoretical method for the construction of finite nested point sets with non-crystallographic symmetry. Akin to the construction of quasicrystals, a non-crystallographic group G is embedded into the point group P of a higher-dimensional lattice and the chains of all G-containing subgroups are constructed. The orbits of lattice points under such subgroups are determined, and it is shown that their projection into a lower-dimensional G-invariant subspace consists of nested point sets with G-symmetry at each radial level. The number of different radial levels is bounded by the index of G in the subgroup of P. In the case of icosahedral symmetry, all subgroup chains are determined explicitly and it is illustrated that these point sets in projection provide blueprints that approximate the organization of simple viral capsids, encoding information on the structural organization of capsid proteins and the genomic material collectively, based on two case studies. Contrary to the affine extensions previously introduced, these orbits endow virus architecture with an underlying finite group structure, which lends itself better to the modelling of dynamic properties than its infinite-dimensional counterpart.

We construct a CATp0q hierarchically hyperbolic group (HHG) acting geometrically on the product of a hyperbolic plane and a locally-finite tree which is not biautomatic. This gives the first example of an HHG which is not biautomatic, the first example of a non-biautomatic CATp0q group of flat-rank 2, and the first example of an HHG which is coarsely injective but not Helly. Our proofs heavily utilise the space of geodesic currents for a hyperbolic surface.