For an epimorphism pi of the free group F_n onto a finite group G write Gamma(G,pi) for the group of all automorphisms f of F_n for which pi*f = pi. This is called the standard congruence subgroup of Aut(F_n) associated to G and pi. In the case n = 2 we present formulas for the index of Gamma(G,pi) where G is abelian or dihedral. Moreover, we show that congruence subgroups associated to dihedral groups provide a family of subgroups of arbitrary large index in Aut(F_2) generated by a fixed number of elements. This implies that finite index subgroups of Aut(F_2) cannot be written as free products.
In this paper we give a description of the generators of the prime level congruence subgroups of braid groups. Also, we give a new presentation of the symplectic group over a finite field, and we calculate symmetric quotients of the prime level congruence subgroups of braid groups. Finally, we find a finite generating set for the level-3 congruence subgroup of the braid group on 3 strands.
In this paper we provide a sufficient condition for a subgroup of a free group not to have the almost congruence extension property (ACEP). We also show that any finitely generated subgroup of a free group satisfies some a generalization of ACEP.
In this paper we describe the profinite completion of the free solvable group on m generators of solvability length r>1. Then, we show that for m=r=2, the free metabelian group on two generators does not have the Congruence Subgroup Property.
This is a short survey of the progress on the congruence subgroup problem since the sixties when the first major results on the integral unimodular groups appeared. It is aimed at the non-specialists and avoids technical details.
Every sequence of orbifolds corresponding to pairwise non-conjugate congruence lattices in a higher rank semisimple group over local fields of zero characteristic is Benjamini--Schramm convergent to the universal cover.
We prove the centrality of the congruence kernel for the elementary subgroup of a Chevalley group G of rank >1 over an arbitrary noetherian ring R (under some minor restrictions on R if G is of type C_n or G_2).
We answer a question of Bartholdi, Siegenthaler and Zalesskii, showing that the congruence subgroup problem for branch groups is independent of the branch action on a tree. We prove that the congruence topology of a branch group is determined by the group; specifically, by its structure graph, an object first introduced by Wilson. We also give a more natural definition of this graph.
We formulate and prove relative versions of several classical decompositions known in the theory of Chevalley groups over commutative rings. As an application we obtain upper estimates for the width of principal congruence subgroups in terms of several families of generators. Some of our results are new even in the absolute case and were previously studied only for groups over finite fields.
We prove that a uniform pro-p group with no nonabelian free subgroups has a normal series with torsion-free abelian factors. We discuss this in relation to unique product groups. We also consider generalizations of Hantzsche-Wendt groups.
We develop practical techniques to compute with arithmetic groups $H\leq \mathrm{SL}(n,\mathbb{Q})$ for $n>2$. Our approach relies on constructing a principal congruence subgroup in $H$. Problems solved include testing membership in $H$, analyzing the subnormal structure of $H$, and the orbit-stabilizer problem for $H$. Effective computation with subgroups of $\mathrm{GL}(n,\mathbb{Z}_m)$ is vital to this work. All algorithms have been implemented in GAP.
We give a complete classification of all nonuniform congruences on orthogonal rook monoids and symplectic rook monoids. We find that there are four kinds of nonuniform congruences on the orthogonal rook monoids ${OR}_n$ for even $n\ne 4$, and we describe each kind of the congruences explicitly in terms of normal subgroups of maximal subgroups. We also find that if $n = 4$, there are six kinds of nonuniform congruences on ${OR}_4$, and we describe these congruences using both $\mathcal{H}$-relations and certain normal subgroups of some maximal subgroups. In contrast, we find that there is only …
The goal of this paper is to give a group-theoretic proof of the congruence subgroup property for $Aut(F_2)$, the group of automorphisms of a free group on two generators. This result was first proved by Asada using techniques from anabelian geometry, and our proof is, to a large extent, a translation of Asada's proof into group-theoretic language. This translation enables us to simplify many parts of Asada's original argument and prove a quantitative version of the congruence subgroup property for $Aut(F_2)$.
Let $G$ be a finite group, $\Z G$ the integral group ring of $G$ and $\U(\Z G)$ the group of units of $\Z G$. The Congruence Subgroup Problem for $\U(\Z G)$ is the problem of deciding if every subgroup of finite index of $\U(\Z G)$ contains a congruence subgroup, i.e. the kernel of the natural homomorphism $\U(\Z G) \rightarrow \U(\Z G/m\Z G)$ for some positive integer $m$. The congruence kernel of $\U(\Z G)$ is the kernel of the natural map from the completion of $\U(\Z G)$ with respect to the profinite topology to the completion with respect to the topology defined by the congruence subgroup…
We state and study the congruence subgroup problem for groups acting on rooted tree, and for branch groups in particular. The problem is reduced to the computation of the congruence kernel, which we split into two parts: the branch kernel and the rigid kernel. In the case of regular branch groups, we prove that the first one is Abelian while the second has finite exponent. We also establish some rigidity results concerning these kernels. We work out explicitly known and new examples of non-trivial congruence kernels, describing in each case the group action. The Hanoi tower group receives part…
Let F_n be the free group of rank n and let Aut^+(F_n) be its special automorphism group. For an epimorphism pi : F_n -> G of the free group F_n onto a finite group G we call Gamma^+(G,pi) = {f in Aut^+(F_n) | pi*f = pi} the standard congruence subgroup of Aut^+(F_n) associated to G and pi. In the case n = 2 we fully describe the abelianization of Gamma^+(G,pi) for finite abelian groups G. Moreover, we show that if G is a finite non-perfect group, then Gamma^+(G,pi) < Aut^+(F_2) has infinite abelianization.
We construct a family of groups which generalize the Hanoi towers group and study the congruence subgroup problem for the groups in this family. We show that unlike the Hanoi towers group, the groups in this generalization are just infinite and have trivial rigid kernel. We also put strict bounds on the branch kernel. Additionally, we show that these groups have subgroups of finite index with non-trivial rigid kernel. The only previously known group where this kernel is non-trivial is the Hanoi towers group and so this adds infinitely many new examples. Finally, we show that the topological cl…
It is known that the level $2$ principal congruence subgroup of $GL(n;\mathbb{Z})$ has a finite generating set. In this paper, we give a finite presentation of the level $2$ principal congruence subgroup of $GL(n;\mathbb{Z})$.
We use buildings and group extensions to compute lower bounds on the top Betti numbers for the cohomology of the level p congruence subgroups of SL(3,Z) and Sp(4,Z).
Let $A$ be the ring of elements in an algebraic function field $K$ over a finite field $F_q$ which are integral outside a fixed place $\infty$. In an earlier paper we have shown that the Drinfeld modular group $G=GL_2(A)$ has automorphisms which map congruence subgroups to non-congruence subgroups. Here we prove the existence of (uncountably many) normal genuine non-congruence subgroups, defined to be those which remain non-congruence under the action of every automorphism of $G$. In addition, for all but finitely many cases we evaluate $ngncs(G)$, the smallest index of a normal genuine non-co…
In this work, we construct fundamental domains for congruence subgroups of $SL_2(F_q[t])$ and $PGL_2(F_q[t])$. Our method uses Gekeler's description of the fundamental domains on the Bruhat- Tits tree $X = X_{q+1}$ in terms of cosets of subgroups. We compute the fundamental domains for a number of congruence subgroups explicitly as graphs of groups using the computer algebra system Magma.
The integral Burau representation provides a map from the braid group into a group of integral matrices. This allows for a definition of congruence subgroups of the braid group as the preimage of the usual principal congruence subgroups of integral matrices. We explore the structure these congruence subgroups by examining some of the quotients that may arise in the series induced by divisibility of levels. We build on the work of Stylianakis on symmetric quotients of congruence subgroups, which itself generalizes the quotient of the braid group by the pure braid group. We accomplish this by ut…
Let R be a connected noetherian commutative ring, and let G be a simply connected reductive group over R of isotropic rank ge 2. The elementary subgroup E(R) of G(R) is the subgroup generated by the R-points U_P^+(R) and U_P^-(R) of the unipotent radicals of two opposite parabolic subgroups P^+ and P^- of G. Assume that 2 is invertible in R if G is of type B_n,C_n,F_4,G_2 and 3 is invertible in R if G is of type G_2. We prove that the congruence kernel of E(R), defined as the kernel of the natural homomorphism between the profinite completion of E(R) and the congruence completion of E(R) with …
We consider a generalisation of the Basilica group to all odd primes: the $p$-Basilica groups acting on the $p$-adic tree. We show that the $p$-Basilica groups have the $p$-congruence subgroup property but not the congruence subgroup property nor the weak congruence subgroup property. This provides the first examples of weakly branch groups with such properties. In addition, the $p$-Basilica groups give the first examples of weakly branch, but not branch, groups which are super strongly fractal. We compute the orders of the congruence quotients of these groups, which enable us to determine the…
The congruence subgroup problem for a finitely generated group $Γ$ and $G\leq Aut(Γ)$ asks whether the map $\hat{G}\to Aut(\hatΓ)$ is injective, or more generally, what is its kernel $C\left(G,Γ\right)$? Here $\hat{X}$ denotes the profinite completion of $X$. In the case $G=Aut(Γ)$ we denote $C\left(Γ\right)=C\left(Aut(Γ),Γ\right)$. Let $Γ$ be a finitely generated group, $\barΓ=Γ/[Γ,Γ]$, and $Γ^{*}=\barΓ/tor(\barΓ)\cong\mathbb{Z}^{(d)}$. Denote $Aut^{*}(Γ)=\textrm{Im}(Aut(Γ)\to Aut(Γ^{*}))\leq GL_{d}(\mathbb{Z})$. In this paper we show that when $Γ$ is nilpotent, there is a canonical isomorphi…
The motivating question of this paper is roughly the following: given a group scheme $G$ over $\mathbb{Z}_p$, $p$ prime, with semisimple generic fiber $G_{\mathbb{Q}_p}$, how far are open subgroups of $G(\mathbb{Z}_p)$ from subgroups of the form $X(\mathbb{Z}_p)\mathbf{K}_p(p^n)$, where $X$ is a subgroup scheme of $G$ and $\mathbf{K}_p(p^n)$ is the principal congruence subgroup $\operatorname{Ker} (G(\mathbb{Z}_p)\rightarrow G(\mathbb{Z}/p^n\mathbb{Z}))$? More precisely, we will show that for $G_{\mathbb{Q}_p}$ simply connected there exist constants $J\ge1$ and $\varepsilon>0$, depending only …
The congruence subgroup problem for a finitely generated group $Γ$ asks whether $\widehat{Aut\left(Γ\right)}\to Aut(\hatΓ)$ is injective, or more generally, what is its kernel $C\left(Γ\right)$? Here $\hat{X}$ denotes the profinite completion of $X$. In this paper we first give two new short proofs of two known results (for $Γ=F_{2}$ and $Φ_{2}$) and a new result for $Γ=Φ_{3}$: 1. $C\left(F_{2}\right)=\left\{ e\right\}$ when $F_{2}$ is the free group on two generators. 2. $C\left(Φ_{2}\right)=\hat{F}_ω$ when $Φ_{n}$ is the free metabelian group on $n$ generators, and $\hat{F}_ω$ is the free pr…
The congruence subgroup problem for a finitely generated group $Γ$ asks whether the map $\hat{Aut\left(Γ\right)}\to Aut(\hatΓ)$ is injective, or more generally, what is its kernel $C\left(Γ\right)$? Here $\hat{X}$ denotes the profinite completion of $X$. It is well known that for finitely generated free abelian groups $C\left(\mathbb{Z}^{n}\right)=\left\{ 1\right\}$ for every $n\geq3$, but $C\left(\mathbb{Z}^{2}\right)=\hat{F}_ω$, where $\hat{F}_ω$ is the free profinite group on countably many generators. Considering $Φ_{n}$, the free metabelian group on $n$ generators, it was also proven that…
We construct two families of representations of the braid group $B_n$ by considering conjugation actions on congruence subgroups of $GL_{n-1}(Z[t^{\pm 1},q^{\pm 1}])$. We show that many of these representations are faithful modulo the center of $B_n$.
We extend some algebraic properties of the classical modular group SL_2(Z) to equivalent groups in the theory of Drinfeld modules, in particular properties which are important in the theory of modular curves. We study cusp amplitudes and the level of a (congruence) subgroup of SL_2(D) for any Dedekind domain D, as ideals of D. In particular, we extend a remarkable result of Larcher. We introduce finer notions of quasi-amplitude and quasi-level, which are not required to be ideals and encode more information about the subgroup. Our results also provide several new necessary conditions for a sub…
For semigroup $S$, a commutative congruence $σ_{orient}$ on $S$ and a subsemigroup Orientable($S$) of $S$ were introduced in "Two cancellative commutative congruences and group diagrams", Semigroup Forum (2011) 82: 338-353. Here we demonstrate that when the semigroup is in fact a group $G$, then Orientable($G$) is the commutator subgroup $[G,G]$ and $ G / σ_{orient}$ is the abelian quotient group $G / [G,G]$.
We report on the computation of torsion in certain homology theories of congruence subgroups of SL(4,Z). Among these are the usual group cohomology, the Tate-Farrell cohomology, and the homology of the sharbly complex. All of these theories yield Hecke modules. We conjecture that the Hecke eigenclasses in these theories have attached Galois representations. The interpretation of our computations at the torsion primes 2,3,5 is explained. We provide evidence for our conjecture in the 15 cases of odd torsion that we found in levels up to 31.
Let $R$ be a commutative ring that is free of rank $k$ as an abelian group, $p$ a prime, and $SL(n,R)$ the special linear group. We show that the Lie algebra associated to the filtration of $SL(n,R)$ by $p$-congruence subgroups is isomorphic to the tensor product $\mathfrak{sl}_n(R\otimes_{\Z}\Z/p)\otimes_{\F_p}t\F_p[t]$, the Lie algebra of polynomials with zero constant term and coefficients $n\times n$ traceless matrices with entries polynomials in $k$ variables over $\F_p$. We use the Lie algebra structure along with the Lyndon-Hochschild-Serre spectral sequence to compute the $d^2$ homolog…
Let K be a subgroup of the inhomogeneous Hecke group G_5 of finite index. Suppose that the geometric level of K is r. Then K is congruence if and only if K contains the principal congruence subgroup of level 2r.
We describe a criterion for a real or complex hyperbolic lattice to admit a RFRS tower that consists entirely of congruence subgroups. We use this to show that certain Bianchi groups $\mathrm{PSL}(\mathcal{O}_d)$ are virtually fibered on congruence subgroups, and also exhibit the first examples of RFRS Kähler groups that are not a subgroup of a product of surface groups and abelian groups.
We give a method to describe all congruence images of a finitely generated Zariski dense group $H \leq \mathrm{SL}(n, \mathbb{Z})$. The method is applied to obtain efficient algorithms for solving this problem in odd prime degree $n$; if $n=2$ then we compute all congruence images only modulo primes. We propose a separate method that works for all $n$ as long as $H$ contains a known transvection. The algorithms have been implemented in GAP, enabling computer experiments with important classes of linear groups that have recently emerged.
We continue and complete our previous paper `Lifts of projective congruence groups' [2] concerning the question of whether there exist noncongruence subgroups of $\SL_2(\Z)$ that are projectively equivalent to one of the groups $Γ_0(N)$ or $Γ_1(N)$. A complete answer to this question is obtained: In case of $Γ_0(N)$ such noncongruence subgroups exist precisely if $N\not\in {3,4,8}$ and we additionally have either that $4\mid N$ or that $N$ is divisible by an odd prime congruent to 3 modulo 4. In case of $Γ_1(N)$ these noncongruence subgroups exist precisely if $N>4$. As in our previous paper t…
The main purpose of this article is to give the integral cohomology of classical principal congruence subgroups in SL(2,Z) as well as their analogues in the third braid group with local coefficients in symmetric powers of the natural symplectic representation. The resulting answers (1) correspond to certain modular forms in characteristic zero, and (2) the cohomology of certain spaces in homotopy theory in characteristic p. The torsion is given in terms of the structure of a "p-divided power algebra". The work is an extension of the work in arXiv:1204.5390v1 as well as extensions of a classica…
We prove a representation stability result for the second homology groups of Torelli subgroups of mapping class groups and automorphism groups of free groups. This strengthens the results of Boldsen-Hauge Dollerup and Day-Putman. We also prove a new representation stability result for the homology of certain congruence subgroups, partially improving upon the work of Putman-Sam. These results follow from a general theorem on syzygies of certain modules with finite polynomial degree.
