A group is combable if it can be represented by a language of words satisfying a
fellow traveller property; an automatic group has a synchronous combing which is a
regular language. This article surveys results for combable groups, in particular in
the case where the combing is a formal language.
Dedicated to David Epstein on the
occasion of his 60th birthday.
Keywords
combings, formal languages, fellow
travellers, automatic groups
