We introduce the concept of quantifying the extent to which a finitely generated group is residually finite. The quantification is carried out for some examples including free groups, the first Grigorchuk group, finitely generated nilpotent groups, and certain arithmetic groups such as $SL_n(\mathbb{Z})$. In the context of finite nilpotent quotients, we find a new characterization of nilpotent groups.
The normal Farb growth of a group quantifies how well-approximated the group is by its finite quotients. We show that any S-arithmetic subgroup of a higher rank Chevalley group G has normal Farb growth n^dim(G).
Normal residual finiteness growth measures how well a finitely generated group is approximated by its finite quotients. We show that any linear group $Γ\leq \mathrm{GL}_d(K)$ has normal residual finiteness growth asymptotically bounded above by $(n\log n)^{d^2-1}$; notably this bound depends only on the degree of linearity of $Γ$. We also give precise asymptotics in the case that $Γ$ is a subgroup of a higher rank Chevalley group $G$ and compute the non-normal residual finiteness growth in these cases. In particular, finite index subgroups of $G(\mathbb{Z})$ and $G(\mathbb{F}_p[t])$ have norma…
The residual finiteness growth of a group quantifies how well approximated the group is by its finite quotients. In this paper, we construct groups with arbitrarily large residual finiteness growth. We also demonstrate a new relationship between residual finiteness growth and some decision problems in groups, which we apply to our new groups.
We classify finitely generated, residually finite automorphism-induced HNN-extensions in terms of the residual separability of a single associated subgroup. This classification provides a method to construct automorphism-induced HNN-extensions which are not residually finite. We prove that this method can never yield a "new" counter-example to Gromov's conjecture on the residual finiteness of hyperbolic groups.
Residual finiteness growth gives an invariant that indicates how well-approximated a finitely generated group is by its finite quotients. We briefly survey the state of the subject. We then improve on the best known upper and lower bounds for lamplighter groups. Notably, any lamplighter group has super-linear residual finiteness growth. In our proof, we quantify a congruence subgroup property for lamplighter groups.
A function $\mathbb{N} \to \mathbb{N}$ is near exponential if it is bounded above and below by functions of the form $2^{n^c}$ for some $c > 0$. In this article we develop tools to recognize the near exponential residual finiteness growth in groups acting on rooted trees. In particular, we show the near exponential residual finiteness growth for certain branch groups, including the first Grigorchuk group, the family of Gupta-Sidki groups and their variations, and Fabrykowski-Gupta groups. We also show that the family of Gupta-Sidki p-groups, for $p\geq 5$, have super-exponential residual finit…
We establish conditions under which the fundamental group of a graph of finite $p$-groups is necessarily residually $p$-finite. The technique of proof is independent of previously established results of this type, and the result is also valid for infinite graphs of groups.
In this paper we discuss connections between the following properties: (RFM) residual finiteness of a monoid M; (RFSG) residual finiteness of Schutzenberger groups of M; and (RFRL) residual finiteness of the natural actions of M on its Green's R- and L-classes. The general question is whether (RFM) implies (RFSG) and/or (RFRL), and vice versa. We consider these questions in all the possible combinations of the following situations: M is an arbitrary monoid; M is an arbitrary regular monoid; every J-class of M has finitely many R- and L-classes; M has finitely many left and right ideals. In eac…
We provide polynomial lower bounds for residual finiteness of residually finite, finitely generated solvable groups that admit infinite order elements in the Fitting subgroup of strict distortion at least exponential. For this class of solvable groups which include polycyclic groups with a nontrivial exponential radical and the metabelian Baumslag-Solitar groups, we improve the lower bounds found in the literature. Additionally, for the class of residually finite, finitely generated solvable groups of infinite Prüfer rank that satisfy the conditions of our theorem, we provide the first nontriv…
We find a lower bound to the size of finite groups detecting a given word in the free group, more precisely we construct a word w_n of length n in non-abelian free groups with the property that w_n is the identity on all finite quotients of size ~ n^{2/3} or less. This improves on a previous result of Bou-Rabee and McReynolds quantifying the lower bound of the residual finiteness of free groups.
We prove that for every $n \in \mathbb{N}$ and $δ>0$ there exists a word $w_n \in F_2$ of length $n^{2/3} \log(n)^{3+δ}$ which is a law for every finite group of order at most $n$. This improves upon the main result of [A. Thom, About the length of laws for finite groups, Isr. J. Math.]. As an application we prove a new lower bound on the residual finiteness growth of non-abelian free groups.
A relative one-relator presentation has the form P = < X,H ; R > where X is a set, H is a group, and R is a group word on X and H. We show that if the group word on X obtained from R by deleting all the terms from H has what we call the unique max-min property, then the group defined by P is residually finite if and only if H is residually finite (Theorem 1). We apply this to obtain new results concerning the residual finiteness of (ordinary) one-relator groups (Theorem 4). We also obtain results concerning the conjugacy problem for one-relator groups (Theorem 5), and results concerning the re…
Full residual finiteness growth of a finitely generated group $G$ measures how efficiently word metric $n$-balls of $G$ inject into finite quotients of $G$. We initiate a study of this growth over the class of nilpotent groups. When the last term of the lower central series of $G$ has finite index in the center of $G$ we show that the growth is precisely $n^b$, where $b$ is the product of the nilpotency class and dimension of $G$. In the general case, we give a method for finding an upper bound of the form $n^b$ where $b$ is a natural number determined by what we call a terraced filtration of …
Let $A$ be an Artin group. A partition $\mathcal{P}$ of the set of standard generators of $A$ is called admissible if, for all $X,Y \in \mathcal{P}$, $X \neq Y$, there is at most one pair $(s,t) \in X \times Y$ which has a relation. An admissible partition $\mathcal{P}$ determines a quotient Coxeter graph $Γ/\mathcal{P}$. We prove that, if $Γ/\mathcal{P}$ is either a forest or an even triangle free Coxeter graph and $A_X$ is residually finite for all $X \in \mathcal{P}$, then $A$ is residually finite.
Let $G$ be a virtually special group. Then the residual finiteness growth of $G$ is at most linear. This result cannot be found by embedding $G$ into a special linear group. Indeed, the special linear group $\text{SL}_k(\mathbb{Z})$, for $k > 2$, has residual finiteness growth $n^{k-1}$.
We give a quantification of residual finiteness for the fundamental groups of hyperbolic manifolds that admit a totally geodesic immersion to a compact, right-angled Coxeter orbifold of dimension 3 or 4. Specifically, we give explicit upper bounds on residual finiteness that are linear in terms of geodesic length. We then extend the linear upper bounds to hyperbolic manifolds with a finite cover that admits such an immersion. Since the quantifications are given in terms of geodesic length, we define the geodesic residual finiteness growth and show that this growth is equivalent to the usual re…
We establish three independent results on groups acting on trees. The first implies that a compactly generated locally compact group which acts continuously on a locally finite tree with nilpotent local action and no global fixed point is virtually indicable; that is to say, it has a finite index subgroup which surjects onto $\mathbf{Z}$. The second ensures that irreducible cocompact lattices in a product of non-discrete locally compact groups such that one of the factors acts vertex-transitively on a tree with a nilpotent local action cannot be residually finite. This is derived from a genera…
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.
We investigate connections between various rigidity and softness properties for discrete quantum groups. After introducing a notion of residual finiteness, we show that it implies the Kirchberg factorization property for the discrete quantum group in question. We also prove the analogue of Kirchberg's theorem, to the effect that conversely, the factorization property and property (T) jointly imply residual finiteness. We also apply these results to certain classes of discrete quantum groups obtained by means of bicrossed product constructions and study the preservation of the properties (facto…
We prove that if every hyperbolic group is residually finite, then every quasi-convex subgroup of every hyperbolic group is separable. The main tool is relatively hyperbolic Dehn filling.
We show that many $2$-dimensional Artin groups are residually finite. This includes $3$-generator Artin groups with labels $\geq 4$ except for $(2m+1, 4,4)$ for any $m\geq 2$. As a first step towards residual finiteness we show that these Artin groups, and many more, split as free products with amalgamation or HNN extensions of finite rank free groups. Among others, this holds for all large type Artin groups with defining graph admitting an orientation, where each simple cycle is directed.
We prove that every mapping torus of any free group endomorphism is residually finite. We show how to use a not yet published result of E. Hrushovski to extend our result to arbitrary linear groups. The proof uses algebraic self-maps of affine spaces over finite fields. In particular, we prove that when such a map is dominant, the set of its fixed closed scheme points is Zariski dense in the affine space.
Let $Γ$ be an arithmetic subgroup of $SU(d,1)$ with cusps, and let $X_Γ$ be the associated locally symmetric space. We prove that if the first inner cohomology group $H^1_!(X_Γ,\mathbb{C})$ is non-zero then the pre-image of $Γ$ in each connected cover of $SU(d,1)$ is residually finite. We also give an example of a such a group $Γ$ for which $H^1_!(X_Γ,\mathbb{C})$ is non-zero.
We prove that every {finitely generated residually finite}-by-sofic group satisfies Kaplansky's direct and stable finiteness conjectures with respect to all noetherian rings. We use this result to provide countably many new examples of finitely presented non-LEA groups, for which soficity is still undecided, satisfying these two conjectures. Deligne's famous example of a non residually finite group is among our examples, along with the families of amalgamated free products SL_n(Z[1/p])*_{F_r}SL_n(Z[1/p]) and HNN extensions SL_n(Z[1/p])*_{F_r}, where p>2 is a prime, n>2 and F_r is a free group …
On the residual finiteness of the non-abelian tensor square $G \otimes G$, the non-abelian exterior square $G \wedge G$ and the weak commutativity construction $\X(G)$
We show that every virtually torsion-free subgroup of the outer automorphism group of a conjugacy separable hyperbolic group is residually finite. As a result, we are able to prove that the group of outer automorphisms of every finitely generated Fuchsian group and of every free-by-finite group is resudually finite. We also generalize the main result for relatively hyperbolic groups.
On the residual finiteness of the non-abelian exterior square of some Artin groups, constructible soluble groups, generalised Baumslag-Solitar groups and $SL_n(\Z)$
We prove that pushouts $A*_CB$ of residually finite-dimensional (RFD) $C^*$-algebras over central subalgebras are always residually finite-dimensional provided the fibers $A_p$ and $B_p$, $p\in \mathrm{spec}~C$ are RFD, recovering and generalizing results by Korchagin and Courtney-Shulman. This then allows us to prove that certain central pushouts of amenable groups have RFD group $C^*$-algebras. Along the way, we discuss the problem of when, given a central group embedding $H\le G$, the resulting $C^*$-algebra morphism is a continuous field: this is always the case for amenable $G$ but not in…
We study residual finiteness for cyclic central extensions of cocompact arithmetic lattices $Γ< \mathrm{PU}(n,1)$ simple type. We prove that the preimage of $Γ$ in any connected cover of $\mathrm{PU}(n,1)$, in particular the universal cover, is residually finite. This follows from a more general theorem on residual finiteness of extensions whose characteristic class is contained in the span in $H^2(Γ, \mathbb{Z})$ of the Poincaré duals to totally geodesic divisors on the ball quotient $Γ\backslash \mathbb{B}^n$. For $n \ge 4$, if $Γ$ is a congruence lattice, we prove residual finiteness of the…
Let Gamma be a fixed hyperbolic group. The Gamma-limit groups of Sela are exactly the finitely generated, fully residually Gamma groups. We give a new invariant of Gamma-limit groups called Gamma-discriminating complexity and show that the Gamma-discriminating complexity of any Gamma-limit group is asymptotically dominated by a polynomial. Our proof relies on an embedding theorem of Kharlampovich-Myasnikov which states that a Gamma-limit group embeds in an iterated extension of centralizers over Gamma. The result then follows from our proof that if G is an iterated extension of centralizers ov…
Taking residual finiteness as a starting point, we consider three related finiteness properties: weak subsemigroup separability, strong subsemigroup separability and complete separability. We investigate whether each of these properties is inherited by Schützenberger groups. The main result of this paper states that for a finitely generated commutative semigroup $S$, these three separability conditions coincide and are equivalent to every $\mathcal{H}$-class of $S$ being finite. We also provide examples to show that these properties in general differ for commutative semigroups and finitely gen…
Residual finiteness is known to be an important property of groups appearing in combinatorial group theory and low dimensional topology. In a recent work [2] residual finiteness of quandles was introduced, and it was proved that free quandles and knot quandles are residually finite. In this paper, we extend these results and prove that free products of residually finite quandles are residually finite provided their associated groups are residually finite. As associated groups of link quandles are link groups, which are known to be residually finite, it follows that link quandles are residually…
A robust family of residually finite groups; spectra of residual finiteness growth, computability properties, and other applications (with an appendix by Arman Darbinyan and Emmanuel Rauzy)
A tubular group $G$ is a finite graph of groups with $\mathbb{Z}^2$ vertex groups and $\mathbb{Z}$ edge groups. We characterize residually finite tubular groups: $G$ is residually finite if and only if its edge groups are separable. Methods are provided to determine if $G$ is residually finite. When $G$ has a single vertex group an algorithm is given to determine residual finiteness.
Let $G$ be a group. We denote by $ν(G)$ a certain extension of the non-abelian tensor square $G \otimes G$ by $G \times G$. We prove that if $G$ is a finitely generated group in which the set of all simple tensors $T_{\otimes}(G)$ is finite, then the non-abelian tensor square $G \otimes G$ and the group $ν(G)$ are finite. Moreover, we show that if $G$ is a locally residually finite group in which the set of simple tensors $T_{\otimes}(H)$ is finite for every proper finitely generated subgroup $H$ of $G$, then the group $ν(G)$ is locally finite.
We give an effective upper bound, for certain arithmetic hyperbolic 3-manifold groups obtained from a quadratic form construction, on the minimal index of a subgroup that embeds in a fixed 6-dimensional right-angled reflection group, stabilizing a totally geodesic subspace. In particular, for manifold groups in any fixed commensurability class we show that the index of such a subgroup is asymptotically smaller than any fractional power of the volume of the manifold. We also give effective bounds on the geodesic residual finiteness growths of closed hyperbolic manifolds that totally geodesicall…
In this article we investigate the L^1-norm of certain functions on groups called divisibility functions. Using these functions, their connection to residual finiteness, and integration theory on profinite groups, we define the residual average of a finitely generated group. One of the main results in this article is the finiteness of residual averages on finitely generated linear groups. Whether or not the residual average is finite depends on growth rates of indices of finite index subgroups. Our results on index growth rates are analogous to results on gaps between primes, and provide a var…