We present an explicit structure for the Baer invariant of a finitely generated abelian group with respect to the variety $[\mathfrak{N}_{c_1},\mathfrak{N}_{c_2}]$, for all $c_2\leq c_1\leq 2c_2$. As a consequence we determine necessary and sufficient conditions for such groups to be $[\mathfrak{N}_{c_1},\mathfrak{N}_{c_2}]$-capable. We also show that if $c_1\neq 1\neq c_2$, then a finitely generated abelian group is $[\mathfrak{N}_{c_1},\mathfrak{N}_{c_2}]$-capable if and only if it is capable. Finally we show that $\mathfrak{S}_2$-capability implies capability but there is a finitely generated abelian group which is capable but is not ${\mathfrak S}_2$-capable.
It is shown that there exists a finitely generated infinite simple group of infinite commutator width, and that the commutator width of a finitely generated infinite boundedly simple group can be arbitrarily large. Besides, such groups can be constructed with decidable word and conjugacy problems.
Let $G$ be a finite $p$-group. We prove that whenever the commuting probability of $G$ is greater than $(2p^2 + p - 2)/p^5$, the unramified Brauer group of the field of $G$-invariant functions is trivial. Equivalently, all relations between commutators in $G$ are consequences of some universal ones. The bound is best possible, and gives a global lower bound of $1/4$ for all finite groups. The result is attained by describing the structure of groups whose Bogomolov multipliers are nontrivial, and Bogomolov multipliers of all of their proper subgroups and quotients are trivial. Applications incl…
It is shown that there exist finitely generated infinite simple groups of infinite commutator width and infinite square width on which there exists no stably unbounded conjugation-invariant norm, and in particular stable commutator length vanishes. Moreover, a recursive presentation of such a group with decidable word and conjugacy problems is constructed.
We provide the first example of a finitely presented (in fact, type $F_\infty$) group with elements whose stable commutator length is algebraic and irrational, answering a question of Calegari. Our example is the lift to the real line of the \emph{golden ratio Thompson group} $T_τ$: the circle analogue of the Cleary's golden ratio Thompson group $F_τ$ which acts on the interval.
In this paper, first we obtain an explicit formula for an outer commutator multiplier of nilpotent products of cyclic groups with respect to the variety $[\mathfrak{N}_{c_1},\mathfrak{N}_{c_2}]$, $\mathfrak{N}_{c}M(\mathbb{Z}\st{n}* \mathbb{Z}\st{n}* ... \st{n}* \mathbb{Z}\st{n}* \mathbb{Z}_{r_1}\st{n}* \mathbb{Z}_{r_2}\st{n}* ... \st{n}* \mathbb{Z}_{r_t})$ where $r_{i+1}\mid r_i \ \ (1\leq i\leq t-1)$, $c_1+c_2+1\geq n$, $2c_2-c_1>2n-2$ and $(p,r_1)=1$ for all prime less than or equal $c_1+c_2+n$, second we give a necessary condition for these groups to be $[\mathfrak{N}_{c_1},\mathfrak{N}_{c…
For a family of group words $w$ we show that if $G$ is a profinite group in which all $w$-values are contained in a union of finitely many subgroups with a prescribed property, then $w(G)$ has the same property as well. In particular, we show this in the case where the subgroups are periodic or of finite rank. If $G$ contains finitely many subgroups $G_1,G_2,...,G_s$ of finite exponent $e$ whose union contains all $γ_k$-values in $G$, it is shown that $γ_k(G)$ has finite $(e,k,s)$-bounded exponent. If $G$ contains finitely many subgroups $G_1,G_2,...,G_s$ of finite rank $r$ whose union contain…
We classify pairs of conjugacy classes in almost simple algebraic groups whose product consists of finitely many classes. This leads to several interesting families of examples which are related to a generalization of the Baer--Suzuki theorem for finite groups. We also answer a question of Pavel Shumyatsky on commutators of pairs of conjugacy classes in simple algebraic groups. It turns out that the resulting examples are exactly those for which the product also consists of only finitely many classes.
In this paper, we present an explicit formula for the Baer invariant of a finitely generated abelian group with respect to the variety of polynilpotent groups of class row $(c_1,...,c_t)$, ${\cal N}_{c_1,...,c_t}$. In particular, one can obtain an explicit structure of the $\ell$-solvable multiplier (the Baer invariant with respect to the vaiety of solvable groups of length at most $\ell\geq 1,\ {\cal S}_{\ell}$.) of a finitely generated abelian group.
Let N be a normal subgroup of a finite group G. We prove that under certain (unavoidable) conditions the subgroup [N,G] is a product of commutators [N,y] (with prescribed values of y from a given set Y) of length bounded by a function of d(G) and |Y| only. This has several applications: 1. A new proof that G^n is closed (and hence open) in any finitely generated profinite group G. 2. A finitely generated abstract quotient of a compact Hausdorff group must be finite. 3. Let G be a topologically finitely generated compact Hausdorff group. Then G has a countably infinite abstract quotient if and …
We fix a finitely presented group $Q$ and consider short exact sequences $1\to N\to G\to Q\to 1$ with $G$ finitely generated. The inclusion $N\to G$ induces a morphism of profinite completions $\hat N\to \hat G$. We prove that this is an isomorphism for all $N$ and $G$ if and only if $Q$ is super-perfect and has no proper subgroups of finite index. We prove that there is no algorithm that, given a finitely presented, residually finite group $G$ and a finitely presentable subgroup $P\subset G$, can determine whether or not $\hat P\to\hat G$ is an isomorphism.
A group G is called special p-group of rank k if the commutator subgroup [G,G] and centre Z(G) are equal, which is elementary abelian p-group of rank k and G/[G,G] is also elementary abelian p-group. In this article we determine the Schur multiplier of special p-groups of rank 2 explicitly.
We prove that the class of nilpotent by finite, solvable by finite, polycyclic by finite, nilpotent of nilpotency class $n$ and supersolvable groups are closed under the formation of the non-abelian tensor product. We provide necessary and sufficient conditions for the non-abelian tensor product of finitely generated groups to be finitely generated. We prove that central extensions of most finite simple groups have trivial Bogomolov multiplier.
We consider profinite groups in which all commutators are contained in a union of finitely many procyclic subgroups. It is shown that if G is a profinite group in which all commutators are covered by m procyclic subgroups, then G possesses a finite characteristic subgroup M contained in G' such that the order of M is m-bounded and G'/M is procyclic. If G is a pro-p group such that all commutators in G are covered by m procyclic subgroups, then G' is either finite of m-bounded order or procyclic.
We consider the class of finitely generated groups whose relators are powers of commutators of the generators. This class contains as a small subclass graph groups (also called RAAGs), namely if all powers are one. Graph groups are the only torsionfree groups in this class. The generators are of infinite order, but we may also add torsion by assigning arbitrary orders to the generators. Then the above mentioned small subclass contains partially commutative Shephard groups. We show that these groups embed into Coxeter groups as finite index subgroups, thus establishing the linearity of these gr…
Let $VB_n$, resp. $WB_n$ denote the virtual, resp. welded, braid group on $n$ strands. We study their commutator subgroups $VB_n' = [VB_n, VB_n]$ and, $WB_n' = [WB_n, WB_n]$ respectively. We obtain a set of generators and defining relations for these commutator subgroups. In particular, we prove that $VB_n'$ is finitely generated if and only if $n \geq 4$, and $WB_n'$ is finitely generated for $n \geq 3$. Also we prove that $VB_3'/VB_3'' =\mathbb{Z}_3 \oplus \mathbb{Z}_3 \oplus\mathbb{Z}_3 \oplus \mathbb{Z}^{\infty}$, $VB_4' / VB_4'' = \mathbb{Z}_3 \oplus \mathbb{Z}_3 \oplus \mathbb{Z}_3$, $WB…
In this paper, we determine the structure of the nilpotent multipliers of all pairs $(G,N)$ of finitely generated abelian groups where $N$ admits a complement in $G$. Moreover, some inequalities for the nilpotent multipliers of pairs of finite groups and their factor groups are given.
Let $G$ be the first Grigorchuk group. We show that the commutator width of $G$ is $2$: every element $g\in [G,G]$ is a product of two commutators, and also of six conjugates of $a$. Furthermore, we show that every finitely generated subgroup $H\leq G$ has finite commutator width, which however can be arbitrarily large, and that $G$ contains a subgroup of infinite commutator width. The proofs were assisted by the computer algebra system GAP.
We prove that outer commutator words are uniformly concise, i.e. if an outer commutator word w takes m different values in a group G, then the order of the verbal subgroup w(G) is bounded by a function depending only on m and not on w or G. This is obtained as a consequence of a structure theorem for the subgroup w(G), which is valid if G is soluble, and without assuming that w takes finitely many values in G. More precisely, there is an abelian series of w(G), such that every section of the series can be generated by values of w all of whose powers are also values of w in that section. For th…
Let $G$ be a $p$-group of maximal class and order $p^n$. We determine whether or not the Bogomolov multiplier $B_0(G)$ is trivial in terms of the lower central series of $G$ and $P_1 = C_G(γ_2(G) / γ_4(G))$. If in addition $G$ has positive degree of commutativity and $P_1$ is metabelian, we show how understanding $B_0(G)$ reduces to the simpler commutator structure of $P_1$. This result covers all $p$-groups of maximal class of large enough order and, furthermore, it allows us to give the first natural family of $p$-groups containing an abundance of groups with nontrivial Bogomolov multipliers…
This is the third paper in a sequence on Krull dimension for limit groups, answering a question of Z. Sela. We give generalizations of the well known fact that a nontrivial commutator in a free group is not a proper power to both graphs of free groups over cyclic subgroups and freely decomposable groups. None of the paper is specifically about limit groups.
We study stable commutator length on mapping class groups of certain infinite-type surfaces. In particular, we show that stable commutator length defines a continuous function on the commutator subgroups of such infinite-type mapping class groups. We furthermore show that the commutator subgroups are open and closed subgroups and that the abelianizations are finitely generated in many cases. Our results apply to many popular infinite-type surfaces with locally coarsely bounded mapping class groups.
Let G be a finitely presented group, and G' its commutator subgroup. Let C be the Cayley graph of G' with all commutators in G as generators. Then C is large scale simply connected. Furthermore, if G is a torsion-free nonelementary word-hyperbolic group, C is one-ended. Hence (in this case), the asymptotic dimension of C is at least 2.
In 1904, Issai Schur proved the following result. If $G$ is an arbitrary group such that $G/\Z(G)$ is finite, where $\Z(G)$ denotes the center of the group $G$, then the commutator subgroup of $G$ is finite. A partial converse of this result was proved by B. H. Neumann in 1951. He proved that if $G$ is a finitely generated group with finite commutator subgroup, then $G/\Z(G)$ is finite. In this short note, we exhibit few arguments of Neumann, which provide further generalizations of converse of the above mentioned result of Schur. We classify all finite groups $G$ such that $|G/\Z(G)| = |γ_2(G…
Let $WB_n$ be the welded (or loop) braid group on n strands, $n \geq 3$. We investigate commutator subgroup of $WB_n$. We prove that the commutator subgroup $WB_n'$ is finitely generated and Hopfian. We show that $WB_n'$ is perfect if and only if $n \geq 5$. We also compute finite presentation for $FWB_n'$, the commutator subgroup of the flat welded braid group $FWB_n$. Along the way, we investigate adorability of these groups.
In this paper we prove that the profinite completion $\mathcal{\hat G}$ of the Grigorchuk group $\mathcal{G}$ is not finitely presented as a profinite group. We obtain this result by showing that $H^2(\mathcal{\hat G},\field{F}_2)$ is infinite dimensional. Also several results are proven about the finite quotients $\mathcal{G}/ St_{\mathcal{G}}(n)$ including minimal presentations and Schur Multipliers.
In 2012 Monod introduced examples of groups of piecewise projective homeomorphisms which are not amenable and which do not contain free subgroups, and later Lodha and Moore introduced examples of finitely presented groups with the same property. In this article we examine the normal subgroup structure of these groups. Two important cases of our results are the groups $H$ and $G_0$. We show that the group $H$ of piecewise projective homeomorphisms of $\mathbb{R}$ has the property that $H"$ is simple and that every proper quotient of $H$ is metabelian. We establish simplicity of the commutator s…
Let w be a group-word. Suppose that the set of all w-values in a profinite group G is contained in a union of countably many cosets of subgroups. We are concerned with the question to what extent the structure of the verbal subgroup w(G) depends on the properties of the subgroups. We prove the following theorem. Let C be a class of groups closed under taking subgroups, quotients, and such that in any group the product of finitely many normal C-subgroups is again a C-subgroup. If w is a multilinear commutator and G is a profinite group such that the set of all w-values is contained in a union o…
The singular braids with $n$ strands, $n \geq 3$, were introduced independently by Baez and Birman. It is known that the monoid formed by the singular braids is embedded in a group that is known as singular braid group, denoted by $SG_n$. There has been another generalization of braid groups, denoted by $GVB_n$, $n \geq 3$, which was introduced by Fang as a group of symmetries behind quantum quasi-shuffle structures. The group $GVB_n$ simultaneously generalizes the classical braid group, as well as the virtual braid group on $n$ strands. We investigate the commutator subgroups $SG_n'$ and $GVB…
A group is metabelian if its commutator subgroup is abelian. For finitely generated metabelian groups, classical commutative algebra, algebraic geometry and geometric group theory, especially the latter two subjects, can be brought to bear on their study. The object of this paper is to describe some of the new ideas and open problems that arise.
Let $G$ be a finite $p$-group of order $p^n$. YA. G. Berkovich (Journal of Algebra {\bf 144}, 269-272 (1991)) proved that $G$ is elementary abelian $p$-group if and only if the order of its Schur multiplier, $M(G)$, is at the maximum case. In this paper, first we find the upper bound $p^{χ_{c+1}{(n)}}$ for the order the $c$-nilpotent multiplier of $G$, $M^{(c)}(G)$, where $χ_{c+1}{(i)}$ is the number of basic commutators of weight $c+1$ on $i$ letters. Second, we obtain the structure of $G$, in abelian case, where $|M^{(c)}(G)|=p^{χ_{c+1}{(n-t)}}$, for all $0\leq t\leq n-1$. Finally, by puttin…
We give a new proof of a theorem of D. Calegari that says that the Cayley graph of a surface group with respect to any generating set lying in finitely many mapping class group orbits has infinite diameter. This applies, for instance, to the generating set consisting of all simple closed curves.
We prove that in every finitely generated profinite group, every subgroup of finite index is open; this implies that the topology on such groups is determined by the algebraic structure. This is deduced from the main result about finite groups: let $w$ be a `locally finite' group word and $d\in\mathbb{N}$. Then there exists $f=f(w,d)$ such that in every $d$-generator finite group $G$, every element of the verbal subgroup $w(G)$ is equal to a product of $f$ $w$-values. An analogous theorem is proved for commutators; this implies that in every finitely generated profinite group, each term of the…
In this paper, we are going to look at the $c$-nilpotent multiplier of a group $G$, ${\cal N}_cM(G)$, as a functor from the category of all groups, ${\cal G}roup$, to the category of all abelian groups, ${\cal A}b$, and focusing on some functional properties of it. In fact, by using some results of the first author and others and finding an explicit formula for the $c$-nilpotent multiplier of a finitely generated abelian group, we try to concentrate on the commutativity of the above functor with the two famous functors Ext and Tor.
The local normal zeta functions of a finitely generated, torsion-free nilpotent group $G$ of class 2 depend on the geometry of the Pfaffian hypersurface associated to the bilinear form induced by taking commutators in $G$. The smallest examples of zeta functions which are not finitely uniform arise from groups whose associated Pfaffian hypersurfaces are plane curves. In this paper we study groups whose Pfaffians define singular curves, illustrating that the local normal zeta functions may indeed invoke all the degeneracy loci of the Pfaffian.
For a finitely generated group $G$ we calculate the Bieri-Neumann-Strebel-Renz invariant $Σ^1(\X(G))$ for the weak commutativity construction $\X(G)$. Identifying $S(\X(G))$ with $S(\X(G) / W(G))$ we show $Σ^2(\X(G),\Z) \subseteq Σ^2(\X(G)/ W(G),\Z)$ and $Σ^2(\X(G)) \subseteq $ $ Σ^2(\X(G)/ W(G))$ that are equalities when $W(G)$ is finitely generated and we explicitly calculate $Σ^2(\X(G)/ W(G),\Z)$ and $ Σ^2(\X(G)/ W(G))$ in terms of the $Σ$-invariants of $G$. We calculate completely the $Σ$-invariants in dimensions 1 and 2 of the group $ν(G)$ and show that if $G$ is finitely generated group …
We associate with every locally expanding self-covering $f:M\to M$ of a compact path connected metric space a finitely presented group $V_f$. We prove that this group is a complete invariant of the dynamical system: two groups $V_{f_1}$ and $V_{f_2}$ are isomorphic as abstract groups if and only if the corresponding dynamical systems are topologically conjugate. We also show that the commutator subgroup of $V_f$ is simple, and give a topological interpretation of $V_f/V_f'$.
Let $TW_n$ be the twin group on $n$ arcs, $n \geq 2$. The group $TW_{m+2}$ is isomorphic to Grothendieck's $m$-dimensional cartographical group $\mathcal C_m$, $m \geq 1$. In this paper we give a finite presentation for the commutator subgroup $TW_{m+2}'$, and prove that $TW_{m+2}'$ has rank $2m-1$. We derive that $TW_{m+2}'$ is free if and only if $m \leq 3$. From this it follows that $TW_{m+2}$ is word-hyperbolic and does not contain a surface group if and only if $m \leq 3$. It also follows that the automorphism group of $TW_{m+2}$ is finitely presented for $m \leq 3$.
We prove two results. (1) There is an absolute constant $D$ such that for any finite quasisimple group $S$, given 2D arbitrary automorphisms of $S$, every element of $S$ is equal to a product of $D$ `twisted commutators' defined by the given automorphisms. (2) Given a natural number $q$, there exist $C=C(q)$ and $M=M(q)$ such that: if $S$ is a finite quasisimple group with $| S/\mathrm{Z}(S)| >C$, $β_{j}$ $ (j=1,...,M)$ are any automorphisms of $S$, and $q_{j}$ $ (j=1,...,M)$ are any divisors of $q$, then there exist inner automorphisms $α_{j}$ of $S$ such that $S=\prod_{1}^{M}[S,(α_{j}β_{j})^…
We show that the wreath product $G \wr \mathbb{Z}^n$ of any finitely generated group $G$ with $\mathbb{Z}^n$ has finite palindromic width. We also show that $C \wr A$ has finite palindromic width if $C$ has finite commutator width and $A$ is a finitely generated infinite abelian group. Further we prove that if $H$ is a non-abelian group with finite palindromic width and $G$ any finitely generated group, then every element of the subgroup $G' \wr H$ can be expressed as a product of uniformly boundedly many palindromes. From this we obtain that $P \wr H$ has finite palindromic width if $P$ is a …
The goal of this article is to exhibit two new families of finitely generated simple groups of homeomorphisms of $\mathbf{R}$. These families are strikingly different from existing families owing to the nature of their actions on $\mathbf{R}$, and exhibit surprising algebraic and dynamical features. In particular, one construction provides the first examples of finitely generated simple groups of homeomorphisms of the real line which also admit a minimal action by homeomorphisms on the circle. This provides new examples of finitely generated simple groups with infinite commutator width, and th…
In this note, we compute the Σ^1(G) invariant when 1 {\to} H {\to} G {\to} K {\to} 1 is a short exact sequence of finitely generated groups with K finite. As an application, we construct a group F semidirect Z_2 where F is the R. Thompson's group F and show that F semidirect Z_2 has the R-infinity property while F is not characteristic. Furthermore, we construct a finite extension G with finitely generated commutator subgroup G' but has a finite index normal subgroup H with infinitely generated H'.
We show that the finitely generated simple left orderable groups $G_ρ$ constructed by the first two authors in arXiv:1807.06478 are uniformly perfect - each element in the group can be expressed as a product of three commutators of elements in the group. This implies that the group does not admit any homogeneous quasimorphism. Moreover, any nontrivial action of the group on the circle, which lifts to an action on the real line, admits a fixed point. Most strikingly, it follows that the groups are examples of left orderable monsters, which means that any faithful action on the real line without…
A combing is a set of normal forms for a finitely generated group. This article investigates the language-theoretic and geometric properties of combings for nilpotent and polycyclic groups. It is shown that a finitely generated class 2 nilpotent group with cyclic commutator subgroup is real-time combable, as are also all 2 or 3-generated class 2 nilpotent groups, and groups in certain families of nilpotent groups, e.g. the finitely generated Heisenberg groups, groups of unipotent matrices over the integers and the free class 2 nilpotent groups. Further it is shown that any polycyclic-by-finite…
The main theme of this paper is higher virtual algebraic fibering properties of right-angled Coxeter groups (RACGs), with a special focus on those whose defining flag complex is a finite building. We prove for particular classes of finite buildings that their random induced subcomplexes have a number of strong properties, most prominently that they are highly connected. From this we are able to deduce that the commutator subgroup of a RACG, with defining flag complex a finite building of a certain type, admits an epimorphism to $\mathbb{Z}$ whose kernel has strong topological finiteness proper…
We show that every bounded automaton group can be embedded in a finitely generated, simple amenable group. The proof is based on the study of the topological full groups associated to the Schreier dynamical system of the mother groups. We also show that if $\mathcal{G}$ is a minimal étale groupoid with unit space the Cantor set, the group $[[\mathcal{G}]]_t$ generated by all torsion elements in the topological full group has simple commutator subgroup.
We study conditions under which subdirect products of various types of algebraic structures are finitely generated or finitely presented. In the case of two factors, we prove general results for arbitrary congruence permutable varieties, which generalise previously known results for groups, and which apply to modules, rings, $K$-algebras and loops. For instance, if $C$ is a fiber product of $A$ and $B$ over a common quotient $D$, and if $A$, $B$ and $D$ are finitely presented, then $C$ is finitely generated. For subdirect products of more than two factors we establish a general connection with…
The present paper constructs unbounded quasimorphisms that are invariant under all automorphisms on free products of more than two factors and on graph products of finitely generated abelian groups. This includes many classes of right angled Artin and right angled Coxeter groups. We discuss various geometrically arising families of graphs as examples and deduce the non-triviality of an invariant analogue of stable commutator length recently introduced by Kawasaki and Kimura for these groups.
We present a theoretical algorithm which, given any finite presentation of a group as input, will terminate with answer yes if and only if the group is large. We then implement a practical version of this algorithm using Magma and apply it to a range of presentations. Our main focus is on 2-generator 1-relator presentations where we have a complete picture of largeness if the relator has exponent sum zero in one generator and word length at most 12, as well as when the relator is in the commutator subgroup and has word length at most 18. Indeed all but a tiny number of presentations define lar…
Shumyatsky and the second author proved that if G is a finitely generated residually finite p-group satisfying a law, then, for almost all primes, the fact that a normal and commutator-closed set of generators satisfies a positive law implies that the whole of G also satisfies a (possibly different) positive law. In this paper, we construct a counterexample showing that the hypothesis of finite generation of the group G cannot be dispensed with.