We introduce$objective partial groups$, of which the linking systems and$p$-local finite groups of Broto, Levi, and Oliver, the transporter systems of Oliver and Ventura, and the $${\mathcal{F}}$$ -localities of Puig are examples, as are groups in the ordinary sense. As an application we show that if $${\mathcal{F}}$$ is a saturated fusion system over a finite$p$-group then there exists a centric linking system $${\mathcal{L}}$$ having $${\mathcal{F}}$$ as its fusion system, and that $${\mathcal{L}}$$ is unique up to isomorphism. The proof relies on the classification of the finite simple groups in an indirect and—for that reason—perhaps ultimately removable way.

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We discuss the problem of deciding when a metrisable topological group G has a canonically defined local Lipschitz geometry. This naturally leads to the concept of minimal metrics on G, that we characterise intrinsically in terms of a linear growth condition on powers of group elements. Combining this with work on the large scale geometry of topological groups, we also identify the class of metrisable groups admitting a canonical global Lipschitz geometry. In turn, minimal metrics connect with Hilbert’s fifth problem for completely metrisable groups and we show, assuming that the set of squares is sufficiently rich, that every element of some identity neighbourhood belongs to a 1-parameter subgroup.

We construct small cancellation labellings for some infinite sequences of finite graphs of bounded degree. We use them to define infinite graphical small cancellation presentations of groups. This technique allows us to provide examples of groups with exotic properties: • We construct the first examples of finitely generated coarsely non-amenable groups (that is, groups without Guoliang Yu’s Property A) that are coarsely embeddable into a Hilbert space. Moreover, our groups act properly on CAT(0) cubical complexes. • We construct the first examples of finitely generated groups, with expanders embedded isometrically into their Cayley graphs—in contrast, in the case of the Gromov monster expanders are not even coarsely embedded. We present further applications.

(1) Ker (f,) is a characteristic subgroup of T,(M),(2) the group G leaves Ker (f*) invariant. This assumption is needed in the last two statements of Corollary 6,(vi) of Theorems 8, Theorem 11 and Theorem 13. In Theorem 12, the corresponding assumption can be stated as follows: Let H be the subspace of H,(M, I?) defined by {PIP U ai, U... U ai, _,= 0 for all ii}. Then G leaves H invariant.