We give a condition on the defining graph of a right-angled Artin group which implies its automorphism group is virtually indicable, that is, it has a finite-index subgroup that admits a homomorphism onto $\Z$.
We use this as part of a criterion that determines precisely when the outer automorphism group of a right-angled Artin group defined on a graph with no separating intersection of links has property (T). As a consequence we also obtain a similar criterion for graphs in which each equivalence class under the domination relation of Servatius generates an abelian group.
We study subgroups and quotients of outer automorphism groups of right-angled Artin groups (RAAGs). We prove that for all RAAGS, the outer automorphism group is residually finite and, for a large class of RAAGs, it satisfies the Tits alternative. We also investigate which of these automorphism groups contain non-abelian solvable subgroups.
We compute the virtual cohomological dimension (VCD) of the group of partially symmetric outer automorphisms of a free group. We use this to obtain new upper and lower bounds on the VCD of the outer automorphism group of a two-dimensional right-angled Artin group. In the case of a right-angled group with defining graph a tree, the bounds agree.
We study representations of the pure symmetric automorphism group $PAut(A_Γ)$ of a RAAG $A_Γ$ with defining graph $Γ$. We first construct a homomorphism from $PAut(A_Γ)$ to the direct product of a RAAG and a finite direct product of copies of $F_2 \times F_2$; moreover, the image of $PAut(A_Γ)$ under this homomorphism is surjective onto each factor. As a consequence, we obtain interesting actions of $PAut(A_Γ)$ on non-positively curved spaces We then exhibit, for connected $Γ$, a RAAG which property contains $Inn(A_Γ)$ and embeds as a normal subgroup of $PAut(A_Γ)$. We end with a discussion of…
We observe that automorphism groups of right-angled Artin groups contain nilpotent non-abelian subgroups, namely $H_3(\mathbb{Z})$ the three-dimensional integer Heisenberg group, provided they admit a certain type of element, called an adjacent transvection. This represents a (minor) extension of a result of Charney-Vogtmann.
We describe an algorithm to find the virtual cohomological dimension of the automorphism group of a right-angled Artin group. The algorithm works in the relative setting; in particular it also applies to untwisted automorphism groups and basis-conjugating automorphism groups. The main new tool is the construction of free abelian subgroups of certain Fouxe-Rabinovitch groups of rank equal to their virtual cohomological dimension, generalizing a result of Meucci in the setting of free groups.
Using abelian coverings of Salvetti complexes, embeddings of outer automorphism groups of right-angled Artin groups (RAAGs) into outer automorphism groups of their particular characteristic subgroups are constructed. Virtual embeddings of outer automorphism groups of finitely generated groups having the unique root property into outer automorphism groups of their particular subgroups are also given. These results provide us with rich examples of (virtual) embeddings between outer automorphism groups of RAAGs. Finite subgroups of pure (outer) automorphism groups of RAAGs are also investigated. …
Outer automorphism groups of RAAGs, denoted $Out(A_Γ)$, interpolate between $Out(F_n)$ and $GL_n(\mathbb{Z})$. We consider several vastness properties for which $Out(F_n)$ behaves very differently from $GL_n(\mathbb{Z})$: virtually mapping onto all finite groups, SQ-universality, virtually having an infinite dimensional space of homogeneous quasimorphisms, and not being boundedly generated. We give a neccessary and sufficient condition in terms of the defining graph $Γ$ for each of these properties to hold. Notably, the condition for all four properties is the same, meaning $Out(A_Γ)$ will eit…
We construct free abelian subgroups of the group $U(A_Γ)$ of untwisted outer automorphisms of a right-angled Artin group, thus giving lower bounds on the virtual cohomological dimension. The group $U(A_Γ)$ was previously studied by Charney, Stambaugh and the second author, who constructed a contractible cube complex on which it acts properly and cocompactly, giving an upper bound for the virtual cohomological dimension. The ranks of our free abelian subgroups are equal to the dimensions of the principal cubes in this complex. These are often of maximal dimension, so that the upper and lower bo…
The JSJ decomposition encodes the automorphisms and the virtually cyclic splittings of a hyperbolic group. For general finitely presented groups, the JSJ decomposition encodes only their splittings. In this sequence of papers we study the automorphisms of a hierarchically hyperbolic group that satisfies some weak acylindricity conditions. To study these automorphisms we construct an object that can be viewed as a higher rank JSJ decomposition. In the first paper we demonstrate our construction in the case of a right angled Artin group. For studying automorphisms of a general HHG we construct w…
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 the outer automorphism groups of graph products of finitely generated abelian groups satisfy the Tits alternative, are residually finite, their so-called Torelli subgroups are finitely generated, and they satisfy a dichotomy between being virtually nilpotent and containing a non-abelian free subgroup that is determined by a graphical condition on the underlying labelled graph. Graph products of finitely generated abelian groups simultaneously generalize right-angled Artin groups (RAAGs) and right-angled Coxter groups (RACGs), providing a common framework for studying these groups.…
We characterize groups quasi-isometric to a right-angled Artin group $G$ with finite outer automorphism group. In particular all such groups admit a geometric action on a $CAT(0)$ cube complex that has an equivariant "fibering" over the Davis building of $G$.
We study the outer automorphism group of a right-angled Artin group $A_Γ$ with finite defining graph $Γ$. We construct a subnormal series for $Out(A_Γ)$ such that each consecutive quotient is either finite, free-abelian, $GL(n,\mathbb{Z})$, or a Fouxe-Rabinovitch group. The last two types act respectively on a symmetric space or a deformation space of trees, so that there is a geometric way of studying each piece. As a consequence we prove that the group $Out(A_Γ)$ is type VF (it has a finite index subgroup with a finite classifying space). The main technical work is a study of relative outer …
For every finite graph $Γ$, we define a simplicial complex associated to the outer automorphism group of the RAAG $A_Γ$. These complexes are defined as coset complexes of parabolic subgroups of $Out^0(A_Γ)$ and interpolate between Tits buildings and free factor complexes. We show that each of these complexes is homotopy Cohen-Macaulay and in particular homotopy equivalent to a wedge of d-spheres. The dimension d can be read off from the defining graph $Γ$ and is determined by the rank of a certain Coxeter subgroup of $Out^0(A_Γ)$. In order to show this, we refine the decomposition sequence for…
We determine the precise conditions under which $\mathrm{SOut}(F_n)$, the unique index two subgroup of $\mathrm{Out}(F_n)$, can act non-trivially via outer automorphisms on a RAAG whose defining graph has fewer than $\frac 1 2 \binom n 2 $ vertices. We also show that the outer automorphism group of a RAAG cannot act faithfully via outer automorphisms on a RAAG with a strictly smaller (in number of vertices) defining graph. Along the way we determine the minimal dimensions of non-trivial linear representations of congruence quotients of the integral special linear groups over algebraically clos…
The structure of a certain subgroup $S$ of the automorphism group of a partially commutative group (RAAG) $G$ is described in detail: namely the subgroup generated by inversions and elementary transvections. We define admissible subsets of the generators of $G$, and show that $S$ is the subgroup of automorphisms which fix all subgroups $\langle Y\rangle$ of $G$, for all admissible subsets $Y$. A decomposition of $S$ as an iterated tower of semi-direct products in given and the structure of the factors of this decomposition described. The construction allows a presentation of $S$ to be computed…
We study the (virtual) indicability of the automorphism group $Aut(A_Γ)$ of the right-angled Artin group $A_Γ$ associated to a simplicial graph $Γ$. First, we identify two conditions -- denoted (B1) and (B2) -- on $Γ$ which together imply that $H^1(G, Z)=0$ for certain finite-index subgroups $G<Aut(A_Γ)$. On the other hand we will show that (B2) is equivalent to the matrix group ${\mathcal H} = {\rm Im}(Aut(A_Γ) \to Aut(H_1(A_Γ))) <GL(n,Z)$ not being virtually indicable, and also to $\mathcal H$ having Kazhdan's property (T). As a consequence, $Aut(A_Γ)$ virtually surjects onto $Z$ whenever $Γ…
For any right-angled Artin group $A_Γ$ we construct a finite-dimensional space $\mathcal{O}_Γ$ on which the group $\text{Out}(A_Γ)$ of outer automorphisms of $A_Γ$ acts with finite point stabilizers. We prove that $\mathcal{O}_Γ$ is contractible, so that the quotient is a rational classifying space for $\text{Out}(A_Γ)$. The space $\mathcal{O}_Γ$ blends features of the symmetric space of lattices in $\mathbb{R}^n$ with those of Outer space for the free group $F_n$. Points in $\mathcal{O}_Γ$ are locally CAT(0) metric spaces that are homeomorphic (but not isometric) to certain locally CAT(0) cub…
Let $G$ be a right-angled Artin group with defining graph $Γ$ and let $H$ be a finitely generated group quasi-isometric to $G(Γ)$. We show if $G$ satisfies (1) its outer automorphism group is finite; (2) $Γ$ does not have induced 4-cycle; (3) $Γ$ is star-rigid; then $H$ is commensurable to $G$. We show condition (2) is sharp in the sense that if $Γ$ contains an induced 4-cycle, then there exists an $H$ quasi-isometric to $G(Γ)$ but not commensurable to $G(Γ)$. Moreover, one can drop condition (1) if $H$ is a uniform lattice acting on the universal cover of the Salvetti complex of $G(Γ)$. As a …
