Non-cancellation for certain classes of groups

For a certain class of groups, which are semidirect products arising from an action of a finite rank free abelian group on another group, we study cancellation of the infinite cyclic group in isomorphic direct products. As an application we obtain a sufficient condition for triviality of the genus of certain nilpotent groups.     

Residual finiteness of infinite amalgamated products of cyclic groups

We classify the residual finiteness of infinite amalgamated free products of infinite cyclic groups. As a side result we also classify residual finiteness and subgroup separability of the subgroups of (Q,+).     

Subgroup separable free products with cyclic amalgamation

Using topological methods we give a proof that the free product of two strict subgroup separable groups with infinite cyclic amalgamation is subgroup separable.     

Approximating absolute Galois groups

In this paper we identify a class of profinite groups (totally torsion free groups) that includes all separable Galois groups of fields containing an algebraically closed subfield, and demonstrate that it can be realized as an inverse limit of torsion free virtually finitely generated abelian (tfvfga) profinite groups. We show by examples that the condition is quite restrictive. In particular, semidirect products of torsion free abelian groups are rarely totally torsion free. The result is of importance for K-theoretic applications, since descent problems for tfvfga groups are relatively manageable.     

Classification and statistics of finite index subgroups in free products

The principal theme of this paper is the enumeration of finite index subgroups Δ in a free product Γ of finite groups under various restrictions on the isomorphism type of Δ. In particular, we completely resolve the realization, asymptotic, and distribution problems for free products Γ of cyclic groups of prime order (prior to this work, these questions were wide open even in the case of the classical modular group). This complex of problems, usually referred to as Poincaré-Klein Problem, originally arose around 1880 out of the work of Klein and Poincaré on automorphic functions and related number theory, but has also grown roots in geometric function theory and, more recently, in the theory of subgroup growth. Ideas and techniques from the theory of generalized permutation representations (an enumerative theory of wreath product representations recently developed by the first named author) play a fundamental role here. Other tools come from analytic number theory, combinatorics, and probability theory.     

Determining whether a finite group of outer automorphisms of a free group is geometric

In this article we give necessary and sufficient conditions for a given finite group of outer automorphisms to be induced by the action of a group of orientation-preserving homeomorphisms on the fundamental group of a punctured surface. When the group is abelian, necessary and sufficient conditions can also be given in the absence of orientability assumptions. These properties are formulated in terms of the finite automorphism groups which project into the given outer automorphism group: each non-trivial automorphism in any such group can fix at most a cyclic subgroup of the fundamental group.     

Two-knot groups with torsion free abelian normal subgroups of rank two

We show that a torsion free abelian normal subgroup of rank two of a two-knot group which is contained in the commutator subgroup must be free abelian, the centralizer of the abelian subgroup is not contained in the commutator subgroup, and neither of the latter two groups is finitely generated. Furthermore, we characterize algebraically the groups of 2-knots which are cyclic branched covers of twist spun torus knots.     

Writing certain commutators as products of cubes in free groups

Let Cu(γ) be the minimal number of cubes required to express an element γ of a free group F. We establish a method for showing that certain equations do not have solutions in free groups. Using it, we find Cu(γ) for certain elements of the derived subgroup of F. If is the wreath product of F by the infinite cyclic group, we also show that every element of W′ is a product of at most one commutator and three cubes in W.     

Finitely Generated Nilpotent Groups of Infinite Cyclic Commutator Subgroups

The aim of this paper is to determine the structure and to establish the isomorphic invariant of the finitely generated nilpotent group G of infinite cyclic commutator subgroup. Using the structure and invariant of the group which is the central extension of a cyclic group by a free abelian group of finite rank of infinite cyclic center, we provide a decomposition of G as the product of a generalized extraspecial Z-group and its center. By using techniques of lifting isomorphisms of abelian groups and equivalent normal form of the generalized extraspecial Z-groups, we finally obtain the structure and invariants of the group G.     

The residual finiteness of negatively curved polygons of finite groups

A subgroup M⊂G is almost malnormal provided that for each g∈G−M, the intersection M ^g ∩M is finite. It is proven that the free product of two virtually free groups amalgamating a finitely generated almost malnormal subgroup, is residually finite. A consequence of a generalization of this result is that an acute-angled n-gon of finite groups is residually finite if n≥4. Another consequence is that if G acts properly discontinuously and cocompactly on a 2-dimensional hyperbolic building whose chambers have acute angles and at least 4 sides, then G is residually finite. Oblatum 17-VII-2000 & 13-II-2002?Published online: 29 April 2002     

Retractability of set theoretic solutions of the Yang-Baxter equation

It is shown that square free set theoretic involutive non-degenerate solutions of the Yang-Baxter equation whose associated permutation group (referred to as an involutive Yang-Baxter group) is abelian are retractable in the sense of Etingof, Schedler and Soloviev. This solves a problem of Gateva-Ivanova in the case of abelian IYB groups. It also implies that the corresponding finitely presented abelian-by-finite groups (called the structure groups) are poly-Z groups. Secondly, an example of a solution with an abelian involutive Yang-Baxter group which is not a generalized twisted union is constructed. This answers in the negative another problem of Gateva-Ivanova. The constructed solution is of multipermutation level 3. Retractability of solutions is also proved in the case where the natural generators of the IYB group are cyclic permutations. Moreover, it is shown that such solutions are generalized twisted unions.     

On the residual finiteness of outer automorphisms of relatively hyperbolic groups

We show that every virtually torsion-free subgroup of the outer automorphism group of a conjugacy separable relatively hyperbolic group is residually finite. As a direct consequence, we obtain that the outer automorphism group of a limit group is residually finite.     

Coxeter groups are virtually special

In this paper we prove that every finitely generated Coxeter group has a finite index subgroup that is the fundamental group of a special cube complex. Some consequences include: Every f.g. Coxeter group is virtually a subgroup of a right-angled Coxeter group. Every word-hyperbolic Coxeter group has separable quasiconvex subgroups.     

ESSENTIALLY FINITELY INDECOMPOSABLE ABELIAN p-GROUPS

Abstract

An abelian p-group C is said to be essentially finitely indecomposable (efi) if given any decomposition of G as the direct sum of a family of subgroups, there exists a positive integer n such that all but at moat a finite number of subgroups of this family are bounded by n. We look at examples and related questions. We prove that a reduced abelian p-group G is efi if and only if G modulo its elements of infinite height is efi. In the proof of this we obtain the following result which is of independent interest: Let A be a reduced p-group with a summand K such that K is a direct sum of cyclic groups. Let B be a basic subgroup of A. Then B contains a subgroup C such that C is a summand of A and the final rank of C is equal to the final rank of K.     

Subgroup separability of certain generalized free products of nilpotent-by-finite groups

In this paper, we show that certain generalized free products of nilpotent-by-finite groups are subgroup separable when the amalgamated subgroup is h× D where D is in the center of both factors.     

Malcev presentations for subsemigroups of direct products of coherent groups

The direct product of a free group and a polycyclic group is known to be coherent. This paper shows that every finitely generated subsemigroup of the direct product of a virtually free group and an abelian group admits a finite Malcev presentation. (A Malcev presentation is a presentation of a special type for a semigroup that embeds into a group. A group is virtually free if it contains a free subgroup of finite index.) By considering the direct product of two free semigroups, it is also shown that polycyclic groups, unlike nilpotent groups, can contain finitely generated subsemigroups that do not admit finite Malcev presentations.     

Residual finiteness, subgroup separability and conjugacy separability of certain HNN extensions

In this note we shall give characterisations for HNN extensions of non-cyclic polycyclic-by-finite groups with normal infinite cyclic associated subgroups to be residually finite, subgroup separable and conjugacy separable.     

Factoring an Infinite Abelian Group by Subsets

By a theorem of L. Rédei if a finite abelian group is a direct product of its subsets such that each subset has a prime number of elements and contains the identity element of the group, then at least one of the factors must be a subgroup. The content of this paper is that this result holds for certain infinite abelian groups, too. Namely, for groups that are direct products of finitely many Prüferian groups and finite cyclic groups of prime power order, belonging to pairwise distinct primes.     

Intersections of Magnus subgroups and embedding theorems for cyclically presented groups

It is now known that the intersection of two Magnus subgroups M_i=〈Y_i〉 (1≤i≤2) in a one-relator group is either the free group F on Y₁∩Y₂ or the free product of F together with an infinite cyclic group (so-called exceptional intersection). Using this, we give conditions under which two embedding theorems for cyclically presented groups can be obtained. This provides a new method for proving such groups infinite. We also give a combinatorial method for checking the presence of exceptional intersections.     

Small conjugacy classes in the automorphism groups of relatively free groups

Let F be an infinitely generated free group and let R be a fully invariant subgroup of F such that (a) R is contained in the commutator subgroup F^′ of F and (b) the quotient group F/R is residually torsion-free nilpotent. Then the automorphism group of the group F/R^′ is complete. In particular, the automorphism group of any infinitely generated free solvable group of derived length at least two is complete.This extends a result by Dyer and Formanek (1977) [7] on finitely generated groups F_n/R^′ where F_n is a free group of finite rank n at least two and R a characteristic subgroup of F_n.