We determine the L^2-Betti numbers of all one-relator groups and all surface-plus-one-relation groups (surface-plus-one-relation groups were introduced by Hempel who called them one-relator surface groups). In particular we show that for all such groups G, the L^2-Betti numbers b_n^{(2)}(G) are 0 for all n>1. We also obtain some information about the L^2-cohomology of left-orderable groups, and deduce the non-L^2 result that, in any left-orderable group of homological dimension one, all two-generator subgroups are free.
We continue research into the cyclically presented groups with length three positive relators. We study small cancellation conditions and SQ-universality, we obtain the Betti numbers of the groups' abelianisations, we calculate the orders of the abelianisations of some groups, and we study isomorphism classes of the groups. Through computational experiments we assess how effective the abelianisation is as an invariant for distinguishing non-isomorphic groups.
We consider largeness of groups given by a presentation of deficiency 1, where the group is respectively free-by-cyclic, LERF or 1-relator. We give the first examples of (finitely generated free)-by-(infinite cyclic) word hyperbolic groups which are large, show that a LERF deficiency 1 group with first Betti number at least 2 is large or the integers times the integers, and show that 2-generator 1-relator groups where the relator has height 1 obey the dichotomy that either the group is large or all its finite images are metacyclic.
Paper withdrawn because of a gap in the proof of Proposition 3 of Thomas Schick: "Integrality of L2-Betti numbers", Math. Ann. 317, 727-750 (arXiv.org/abs/math.gt/0001101). Most results of the withdrawn paper were based on this proposition.
We obtain a number of results regarding freeness, quasiconvexity and separability for subgroups of Coxeter groups, Artin groups and one-relator groups with torsion.
It is well-known that random groups with at least as many relators as generators have vanishing first betti number with high probability. In this paper we extend this question and study maps from few-relators random groups to infinite virtually abelian groups.
Three versions of the Freiheitssatz are proved in the context of one-relator quotients of limit groups, where the latter are equipped with 1-acylindrical splittings over cyclic subgroups. These are natural extensions of previously published corresponding statements for one-relator quotients of orientable surface groups. Two of the proofs are new even in that restricted context.
We show that if $M$ is a fibered, orientable 3-manifold, and if $π_1 M$ has 1-relator presentation, then the presentation is induced by a Heegaard splitting of $M$. A corollary is that, for these manifolds, the rank of $π_1 M$ is equal to the "restricted" Heegaard genus of $M$. We also explore the analogy between 1-relator groups and Haken 3-manifolds, showing that every 1-relator group possesses a "1-relator hierarchy".
We study $\ell^2$ Betti numbers, coherence, and virtual fibring of random groups in the few-relator model. In particular, random groups with negative Euler characteristic are coherent, have $\ell^2$ homology concentrated in dimension 1, and embed in a virtually free-by-cyclic group with high probability. Similar results are shown with positive probability in the zero Euler characteristic case.
We prove that ``almost generically'' for a one-relator group Delzant's $T$-invariant (which measures the smallest size of a finite presentation for a group) is comparable in magnitude with the length of the defining relator. The proof relies on our previous results regarding isomorphism rigidity of generic one-relator groups and on the methods of the theory of Kolmogorov-Chaitin complexity. We also give a precise asymptotic estimate (when $k$ is fixed and $n$ goes to infinity) for the number $I_{k,n}$ of isomorphism classes of $k$-generator one-relator groups with a cyclically reduced defining…
We show that any one-relator group $G=F/\langle\langle w\rangle\rangle$ with torsion is coherent -- i.e., that every finitely generated subgroup of $G$ is finitely presented -- answering a 1974 question of Baumslag in this case.
We show that the free-by-cyclic groups of the form F(2)-by-Z act properly cocompactly on CAT(0) square complexes. We also show using generalised Baumslag-Solitar groups that all known groups defined by a 2-generator 1-relator presentation are either SQ-universal or are cyclic or isomorphic to BS(1,j). Finally we consider free-by-cyclic groups which are not relatively hyperbolic with respect to any collection of subgroups.
We use Fox calculus to assign a marked polytope to a `nice' group presentation with two generators and one relator. Relating the marked vertices to Novikov-Sikorav homology we show that they determine the Bieri-Neumann-Strebel invariant of the group. Furthermore we show that in many cases the marked polytope is an invariant of the underlying group and that in those cases the marked polytope also determines the minimal complexity of all the associated HNN-splittings.
How different is the universal cover of a given finite 2-complex from a 3-manifold (from the proper homotopy viewpoint)? Regarding this question, we recall that a finitely presented group $G$ is said to be properly 3-realizable if there exists a compact 2-polyhedron $K$ with $π_1(K) \cong G$ whose universal cover $\tilde{K}$ has the proper homotopy type of a PL 3-manifold (with boundary). In this paper, we study the asymptotic behavior of finitely generated one-relator groups and show that those having finitely many ends are properly 3-realizable, by describing what the fundamental pro-group l…
We will say that a group G possesses the Magnus property if for any two elements u,v in G with the same normal closure, u is conjugate to v or v^{-1}. We prove that some one-relator groups, including the fundamental groups of closed nonorientable surfaces of genus g>3 possess this property. The analogous result for orientable surfaces of any finite genus was obtained by the first author [Geometric methods in group theory, Contemp. Math, 372 (2005) 59-69].
We prove a freeness theorem for low-rank subgroups of one-relator groups. Let $F$ be a free group, and let $w\in F$ be a non-primitive element. The primitivity rank of $w$, $π(w)$, is the smallest rank of a subgroup of $F$ containing $w$ as an imprimitive element. Then any subgroup of the one-relator group $G=F/\langle\langle w\rangle\rangle$ generated by fewer than $π(w)$ elements is free. In particular, if $π(w)>2$ then $G$ doesn't contain any Baumslag--Solitar groups. The hypothesis that $π(w)>2$ implies that the presentation complex $X$ of the one-relator group $G$ has negative immersions:…
We use Klyachko's methods to prove that the natural map G to G-hat, where G is a torsion-free group and G-hat is obtained by adding a new generator t and a new relator w, is surjective only if w is conjugate to gt or gt^{-1} for some g in G. This solves a special case of the surjectivity problem for group extensions, raised by Cohen [Whitehead torsion, group extensions, and Zeeman's conjecture in high dimensions, Topology, 16 (1977) 79--88].
Recently Dicks-Linnell determined the $L^2$-Betti numbers of the orientable surface-plus-one-relation groups, and their arguments involved some results that were obtained topologically by Hempel and Howie. Using algebraic arguments, we now extend all these results of Hempel and Howie to a larger class of two-relator groups, and we then apply the extended results to determine the $L^2$-Betti numbers of the non-orientable surface-plus-one-relation groups.
We prove the following results: (1) There is a one-relator inverse monoid $\mathrm{Inv}\langle A\:|\:w=1 \rangle$ with undecidable word problem; and (2) There are one-relator groups with undecidable submonoid membership problem. The first of these results answers a problem originally posed by Margolis, Meakin and Stephen in 1987.
This communication records some observations made in the course of studying one-relator groups from the point of view of residual solvability. As a contribution to clas- sification efforts we single out some relator types that render the corresponding one-relator groups residually solvable.
The authors announce the following theorem. Theorem 1. If $G=A*_H B$ is an amalgamated product where $A$ and $B$ are finitely presented and semistable at infinity, and $H$ is finitely generated, then $G$ is semistable at infinity. If $G=A*_H$ is an HNN-extension where $A$ is finitely presented and semistable at infinity, and $H$ is finitely generated, then $G$ is semistable at infinity.
A homogeneous nilpotent Lie group has a scaling automorphism determined by a grading of its Lie algebra. Many proofs of upper bounds for the Dehn function of such a group depend on being able to fill curves with discs compatible with this grading; the area of such discs changes predictably under the scaling automorphism. In this paper, we present combinatorial methods for finding such bounds. Using this method, we give new proofs of some results on Dehn functions of nilpotent groups, prove theorems on central powers and certain quotients of nilpotent groups, and construct the first example of …
We show that one relator groups viewed as metric spaces with respect to the word-length metric have finite asymptotic dimension in the sense of Gromov and give an estimate of their asymptotic dimension in terms of the relator length.
A one-relator group is a group $G_r$ that admits a presentation $\langle S \mid r \rangle$ with a single relation $r$. One-relator groups form a rich classically studied class of groups in Geometric Group Theory. If $r \in F(S)'$, the commutator subgroup of $F(S)$, we introduce the simplicial volume of $\| G_r \|$. We relate this invariant to the stable commutator length $\textrm{scl}_S(r)$ of the element $r \in F(S)$. We show that often (though not always) the linear relationship $\| G_r \| = 4 \cdot \textrm{scl}_S(r) - 2$ holds and that every rational number modulo $1$ is the simplicial volu…
A one-relator surface group is the quotient of an orientable surface group by the normal closure of a single relator. A Magnus subgroup is the fundamental group of a suitable incompressible sub-surface. A number of results are proved about the intersections of such subgroups and their conjugates, analogous to results of Bagherzadeh, Brodskii, and Collins in classical one-relator group theory.
We apply the method of Arzhantseva-Ol'shanskii to prove that for an exponentially generic (in the sense of Ol'shanskii) class of one-relator groups the isomorphism problem is solvable in at most exponential time. This is obtained as a corollary of our more general result that for any fixed integers $m>1, n>0$ there is an exponentially generic class of $m$-generator $n$-relator groups where every group has only one Nielsen equivalence class of $m$-tuples generating non-free subgroups. This means that a group $G$ in this class has has only one non-free $m$-generated subgroup, namely $G$ itself. …
In this paper we prove several results regarding decidability of the membership problem for certain submonoids in amalgamated free products and HNN extensions of groups. These general results are then applied to solve the prefix membership problem for a number of classes of one-relator groups which are low in the Magnus-Moldavanski\uı hierarchy. Since the prefix membership problem for one-relator groups is intimately related to the word problem for one-relator special inverse monoids in the $E$-unitary case (as discovered in 2001 by Ivanov, Margolis and Meakin), these results yield solutions o…
We prove that one-relator groups with torsion are hereditarily conjugacy separable. Our argument is based on a combination of recent results of Dani Wise and the first author. As a corollary we obtain that any quasiconvex subgroup of a one-relator group with torsion is also conjugacy separable.
In this paper, we generalise Magnus' Freiheitssatz and solution to the word problem for one-relator groups by considering one relator quotients of certain classes of right-angled Artin groups and graph products of locally indicable polycyclic groups.
We prove that a one-relator group $G$ is Kähler if and only if either $G$ is finite cyclic or $G$ is isomorphic to the fundamental group of a compact orbifold Riemann surface of genus $g > 0$ with at most one cone point of order $n$: $$< a_1\, b_1\, \,...\, a_g\, b_g\, \mid\, (\prod_{i=1}^g [a_i\, b_i])^n>\, .$$
The general {\bf surface group conjecture} asks whether a one-relator group where every subgroup of finite index is again one-relator and every subgroup of infinite index is free (property IF) is a surface group. We resolve several related conjectures given in [FKMRR]. First we obtain the Surface Group Conjecture B for cyclically pinched and conjugacy pinched one-relator groups. That is: if $G$ is a cyclically pinched one-relator group or conjugacy pinched one-relator group satisfying property IF then $G$ is free, a surface group or a solvable Baumslag-Solitar Group. Further combining results …
In this paper we use JSJ-decompositions to formalise a folk conjecture recorded by Pride on the structure of one-relator groups with torsion. We prove a slightly weaker version of the conjecture, which implies that the structure of one-relator groups with torsion closely resemble the structure of torsion-free hyperbolic groups.
The focus of this article is to define the descriptively approximations in proximal relator spaces. Afterwards, descriptive approximately algebraic structures such as groupoids, semigroups and groups in digital images endowed with descriptive Efremovic proximity relations were introduced.
The main result of this paper is a complete classification of the outer automorphism groups of two-generator, one-relator groups with torsion. To this classification we apply recent algorithmic results of Dahmani--Guirardel, which yields an algorithm to compute the isomorphism class of the outer automorphism group of a given two-generator, one-relator group with torsion.
A group obtained from a nontrivial group by adding one generator and one relator which is a proper power of a word in which the exponent-sum of the additional generator is one contains the free square of the initial group and almost always (with one obvious exception) contains a non-abelian free subgroup. If the initial group is involution-free or the relator is at least third power, then the obtained group is SQ-universal and relatively hyperbolic with respect to the initial group.
We prove a rank 1 version of the Hanna Neumann Theorem. This shows that every one-relator 2-complex without torsion has the nonpositive immersion property. The proof generalizes to staggered and reducible 2-complexes.
In this paper, we prove that two-generator one-relator groups with depth less than or equal to 3 can be effectively embedded into a tower of HNN-extensions in which each group has the effective standard normal form. We give an example to show how to deal with some general cases for one-relator groups. By using the Magnus method and Composition-Diamond Lemma, we reprove the G. Higman, B. H. Neumann and H. Neumann's embedding theorem.
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…
We prove that Whitehead's algorithm for solving the automorphism problem in a fixed free group $F_k$ has strongly linear time generic-case complexity. This is done by showing that the ``hard'' part of the algorithm terminates in linear time on an exponentially generic set of input pairs. We then apply these results to one-relator groups. We obtain a Mostow-type isomorphism rigidity result for random one-relator groups: If two such groups are isomorphic then their Cayley graphs on the \emph{given generating sets} are isometric. Although no nontrivial examples were previously known, we prove tha…
We give a lower and an upper bound for the conformal dimension of the boundaries of certain small cancellation groups. We apply these bounds to the few relator and density models for random groups. This gives generic bounds of the following form, where $l$ is the relator length, going to infinity. (a) $1 + 1/C < \Cdim(\bdry G) < C l / \log(l)$, for the few relator model, and (b) $1 + l / (C\log(l)) < \Cdim(\bdry G) < C l$, for the density model, at densities $d < 1/16$. In particular, for the density model at densities $d < 1/16$, as the relator length $l$ goes to infinity, the random groups w…
