Stable subgroups of the genus 2 handlebody group

Abstract

We show that a finitely generated subgroup of the genus two handlebody group is stable if and only if the orbit map to the disk graph is a quasi-isometric embedding. To this end, we prove that the genus two handlebody group is a hierarchically hyperbolic group, and that the maximal hyperbolic space in the hierarchy is quasi-isometric to the disk graph of a genus two handlebody by appealing to a construction of Hamenstadt-Hensel. We then utilize the characterization of stable subgroups of hierarchically hyperbolic groups provided by Abbott-Behrstock-Durham. We also provide a counterexample for the higher genus analogue of the main theorem.