Automorphism groups of polycyclic-by-finite groups and arithmetic groups

We show that the outer automorphism group of a polycyclic-by-finite group is an arithmetic group. This result follows from a detailed structural analysis of the automorphism groups of such groups. We use an extended version of the theory of the algebraic hull functor initiated by Mostow. We thus make applicable refined methods from the theory of algebraic and arithmetic groups. We also construct examples of polycyclic-by-finite groups which have an automorphism group which does not contain an arithmetic group of finite index. Finally we discuss applications of our results to the groups of homotopy self-equivalences of K(Γ,1)-spaces and obtain an extension of arithmeticity results of Sullivan in rational homotopy theory.     

Automorphism groups of nilpotent groups

We construct a full class of nilpotent groups of class 2 of an arbitrary infinite cardinality . Their centers, commutator subgroups and factors modulo the center will be the same and a homogeneous direct sum of a group of rank 1 or 2. Their automorphism groups will coincide and the factor group modulo the stabilizer could be an arbitrary group of size $\leqq$ .     

Class groups and Brauer groups

LetF be a global field,n a positive integer not divisible by the characteristic ofF. Then there exists a finite extensionE ofF whose class group has a cyclic direct summand of ordern. This theorem, in a slightly stronger form, is applied to determine completely, on the basis of the work of Fein and Schacher, the structure of the Brauer group Br(F()) of the rational function fieldF(t). As a consequence of this, an additional theorem of the above authors, together with a note at the end of the paper, imply that Br(F(t)) ≊ Br(F(t ₁, ···,t _n)), wheret ₁, ···,t _n are algebraically independent overF.     

Abelian groups as autocommutator groups

In this article, we establish that every finite abelian group is isomorphic to the autocommutator subgroup of some finite abelian group. Received: 21 September 2007     

Holonomy groups of Bieberbach groups with finite outer automorphism groups

This work was supported by the DFG and by a Polish grant BW/5100-5-0116-3.     

On groups close to metacyclic groups

We study groups whose structure is similar to the structure of metacyclic groups. These groups play an important role in the investigation of groups with normal subgroups.     

Minimal non-nilpotent groups as automorphism groups

Groups are classified whose automorphism group is minimal non-nilpotent.The first author wishes to thank the Mathematics Department of Napoli for its warm hospitality for the time of writing this paper.     

Isometry groups of three-dimensional Lie groups

Annals of Global Analysis and Geometry - We compute the full isometry group of any left-invariant metric on a simply connected, non-unimodular Lie group of dimension three. As an application, we...