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Martin R. Bridson

Publications and source records attributed to Martin R. Bridson.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
arXiv2012

On the finite presentation of subdirect products and the nature of residually free groups

We establish {\em{virtual surjection to pairs}} (VSP) as a general criterion for the finite presentability of subdirect products of groups: if $Γ_1,...,Γ_n$ are finitely presented and $S<Γ_1\times...\timesΓ_n$ projects to a subgroup of finite index in each $Γ_i\timesΓ_j$, then $S$ is finitely presentable, indeed there is an algorithm that will construct a finite presentation for $S$. We use the VSP criterion to characterise the finitely presented residually free groups. We prove that the class of such groups is recursively enumerable. We describe an algorithm that, given a finite presentation of a residually free group, constructs a canonical embedding into a direct product of finitely many limit groups. We solve the (multiple) conjugacy problem and membership problem for finitely presentable subgroups of residually free groups. We also prove that there is an algorithm that, given a finite generating set for such a subgroup, will construct a finite presentation. New families of subdirect products of free groups are constructed, including the first examples of finitely presented subgroups that are neither ${\rm{FP}}_\infty$ nor of Stallings-Bieri type

math.GR↗
arXiv2012

On the Subgroups of Right Angled Artin Groups and Mapping Class Groups

There exist right angled Artin groups $A$ such that the isomorphism problem for finitely presented subgroups of $A$ is unsolvable, and for certain finitely presented subgroups the conjugacy and membership problems are unsolvable. It follows that if $S$ is a surface of finite type and the genus of $S$ is sufficiently large, then the corresponding decision problems for the mapping class group $Mod(S)$ are unsolvable. Every virtually special group embeds in the mapping class group of infinitely many closed surfaces. Examples are given of finitely presented subgroups of mapping class groups that have infinitely many conjugacy classes of torsion elements.

math.GR↗
arXiv2011

The Dehn functions of Out(F_n) and Aut(F_n)

For n > 2, the Dehn functions of Aut(F_n) and Out(F_n) are exponential. Hatcher and Vogtmann proved that they are at most exponential, and the complementary lower bound in the case n=3 was established by Bridson and Vogtmann. Handel and Mosher completed the proof by reducing the lower bound for n>4 to the case n=3. In this note we give a shorter, more direct proof of this last reduction.

math.GR↗
arXiv2011

Abelian covers of graphs and maps between outer automorphism groups of free groups

We explore the existence of homomorphisms between outer automorphism groups of free groups Out(F_n) \to Out(F_m). We prove that if n > 8 is even and n \neq m \leq 2n, or n is odd and n \neq m \leq 2n - 2, then all such homomorphisms have finite image; in fact they factor through det: Out(F_n) \to Z/2. In contrast, if m = r^n(n - 1) + 1 with r coprime to (n - 1), then there exists an embedding Out(F_n) \to Out(F_m). In order to prove this last statement, we determine when the action of Out(F_n) by homotopy equivalences on a graph of genus n can be lifted to an action on a normal covering with abelian Galois group.

math.GR↗
arXiv2011

Actions of higher-rank lattices on free groups

If $G$ is a semisimple Lie group of real rank at least 2 and $Γ$ is an irreducible lattice in $G$, then every homomorphism from $Γ$ to the outer automorphism group of a finitely generated free group has finite image.

math.GR↗
arXiv2011

The rhombic dodecahedron and semisimple actions of Aut(F_n) on CAT(0) spaces

We consider actions of automorphism groups of free groups by semisimple isometries on complete CAT$(0)$ spaces. If $n\ge 4$ then each of the Nielsen generators of Aut$(F_n)$ has a fixed point. If $n=3$ then either each of the Nielsen generators has a fixed point, or else they are hyperbolic and each Nielsen-generated $\Z^4\subset Aut(F_3)$ leaves invariant an isometrically embedded copy of Euclidean 3-space on which it acts as a discrete group of translations with the rhombic dodecahedron as a fundamental domain. An abundance of actions of the second kind is described. Constraints on maps from Aut$(F_n)$ to mapping class groups and linear groups are obtained. If $n\ge 2$ then neither Aut$(F_n)$ nor Out$(F_n)$ is the fundamental group of a compact Kähler manifold.

math.GT↗
arXiv2011

On the algorithmic construction of classifying spaces and the isomorphism problem for biautomatic groups

We show that the isomorphism problem is solvable in the class of central extensions of word-hyperbolic groups, and that the isomorphism problem for biautomatic groups reduces to that for biautomatic groups with finite centre. We describe an algorithm that, given an arbitrary finite presentation of an automatic group $Γ$, will construct explicit finite models for the skeleta of $K(Γ,1)$ and hence compute the integral homology and cohomology of $Γ$.

math.GT↗
arXiv2010

Cofinitely Hopfian groups, open mappings and knot complements

A group $Γ$ is defined to be cofinitely Hopfian if every homomorphism $Γ\toΓ$ whose image is of finite index is an automorphism. Geometrically significant groups enjoying this property include certain relatively hyperbolic groups and many lattices. A knot group is cofinitely Hopfian if and only if the knot is not a torus knot. A free-by-cyclic group is cofinitely Hopfian if and only if it has trivial centre. Applications to the theory of open mappings between manifolds are presented.

math.GR↗
arXiv2010

Actions of automorphism groups of free groups on homology spheres and acyclic manifolds

For n at least 3, let SAut(F_n) denote the unique subgroup of index two in the automorphism group of a free group. The standard linear action of SL(n,Z) on R^n induces non-trivial actions of SAut(F_n) on R^n and on S^{n-1}. We prove that SAut(F_n) admits no non-trivial actions by homeomorphisms on acyclic manifolds or spheres of smaller dimension. Indeed, SAut(F_n) cannot act non-trivially on any generalized Z_2-homology sphere of dimension less than n-1, nor on any Z_2-acyclic Z_2-homology manifold of dimension less than n. It follows that SL(n,Z) cannot act non-trivially on such spaces either. When n is even, we obtain similar results with Z_3 coefficients.

math.GR↗
arXiv2008

The Chabauty space of closed subgroups of the three-dimensional Heisenberg group

When equipped with the natural topology first defined by Chabauty, the closed subgroups of a locally compact group $G$ form a compact space $\Cal C(G)$. We analyse the structure of $\Cal C(G)$ for some low-dimensional Lie groups, concentrating mostly on the 3-dimensional Heisenberg group $H$. We prove that $\Cal C(H)$ is a 6-dimensional space that is path--connected but not locally connected. The lattices in $H$ form a dense open subset $\Cal L(H) \subset \Cal C(H)$ that is the disjoint union of an infinite sequence of pairwise--homeomorphic aspherical manifolds of dimension six, each a torus bundle over $(\bold S^3 \smallsetminus T) \times \bold R$, where $T$ denotes a trefoil knot. The complement of $\Cal L(H)$ in $\Cal C(H)$ is also described explicitly. The subspace of $\Cal C(H)$ consisting of subgroups that contain the centre $Z(H)$ is homeomorphic to the 4--sphere, and we prove that this is a weak retract of $\Cal C(H)$.

math.GR↗
arXiv2008

Decision problems and profinite completions of groups

We consider pairs of finitely presented, residually finite groups $P\hookrightarrow\G$ for which the induced map of profinite completions $\hat P\to \hat\G$ is an isomorphism. We prove that there is no algorithm that, given an arbitrary such pair, can determine whether or not $P$ is isomorphic to $\G$. We construct pairs for which the conjugacy problem in $\G$ can be solved in quadratic time but the conjugacy problem in $P$ is unsolvable. Let $\mathcal J$ be the class of super-perfect groups that have a compact classifying space and no proper subgroups of finite index. We prove that there does not exist an algorithm that, given a finite presentation of a group $\G$ and a guarantee that $\G\in\mathcal J$, can determine whether or not $\G\cong\{1\}$. We construct a finitely presented acyclic group $\H$ and an integer $k$ such that there is no algorithm that can determine which $k$-generator subgroups of $\H$ are perfect.

math.GR↗
arXiv2008

Direct factors of profinite completions and decidability

We consider finitely presented,residually finite groups $G$ and finitely generated normal subgroups $A$ such that the inclusion $A\hookrightarrow G$ induces an isomorphism from the profinite completion of $A$ to a direct factor of the profinite completion of $G$. We explain why $A$ need not be a direct factor of a subgroup of finite index in $G$; indeed $G$ need not have a subgroup of finite index that splits as a non-trivial direct product. We prove that there is no algorithm that can determine whether $A$ is a direct factor of a subgroup of finite index in $G$.

math.GR↗
arXiv2008

Finitely presented residually free groups

We establish a general criterion for the finite presentability of subdirect products of groups and use this to characterize finitely presented residually free groups. We prove that, for all $n\in\mathbb{N}$, a residually free group is of type ${\rm{FP}}_n$ if and only if it is of type ${\rm{F}}_n$. New families of subdirect products of free groups are constructed, including the first examples of finitely presented subgroups that are neither ${\rm{FP}}_\infty$ nor of Stallings-Bieri type. The template for these examples leads to a more constructive characterization of finitely presented residually free groups up to commensurability. We show that the class of finitely presented residually free groups is recursively enumerable and present a reduction of the isomorphism problem. A new algorithm is described which, given a finite presentation of a residually free group, constructs a canonical embedding into a direct product of finitely many limit groups. The (multiple) conjugacy and membership problems for finitely presented subgroups of residually free groups are solved.

math.GR↗
arXiv2007

Constructing presentations of subgroups of right-angled Artin groups

Let $G$ be the right-angled Artin group associated to the flag complex $Σ$ and let $π:G\to\Z$ be its canonical height function. We investigate the presentation theory of the groups $Γ_n=π^{-1}(n\Z)$ and construct an algorithm that, given $n$ and $Σ$, outputs a presentation of optimal deficiency on a minimal generating set, provided $Σ$ is triangle-free; the deficiency tends to infinity as $n\to\infty$ if and only if the corresponding Bestvina-Brady kernel $\bigcap_nΓ_n$ is not finitely presented, and the algorithm detects whether this is the case. We explain why there cannot exist an algorithm that constructs finite presentations with these properties in the absence of the triangle-free hypothesis. We explore what is possible in the general case, describing how to use the configuration of 2-simplices in $Σ$ to simplify presentations and giving conditions on $Σ$ that ensure that the deficiency goes to infinity with $n$. We also prove, for general $Σ$, that the abelianized deficiency of $Γ_n$ tends to infinity if and only if $Σ$ is 1-acyclic, and discuss connections with the relation gap problem.

math.GR↗
arXiv2007

Subgroup separability in residually free groups

We prove that the finitely presentable subgroups of residually free groups are separable and that the subgroups of type $\mathrm{FP}_\infty$ are virtual retracts. We describe a uniform solution to the membership problem for finitely presentable subgroups of residually free groups.

math.GR↗
arXiv2006

Deficiency and abelianized deficiency of some virtually free groups

Let $Q_m$ be the HNN extension of $\Z/m \times \Z/m$ where the stable letter conjugates the first factor to the second. We explore small presentations of the groups $Γ_{m,n}=Q_m \ast Q_n$. We show that for certain choices of (m,n), for example (2,3), the group $Γ_{m,n}$ has a relation gap unless it admits a presentation with at most 3 defining relations, and we establish restrictions on the possible form of such a presentation. We then associate to each (m,n) a 3-complex with 16 cells. This 3-complex is a counterexample to the D(2) conjecture if $Γ_{m,n}$ has a relation gap.

math.GR↗
arXiv2006

Free-group automorphisms, train tracks and the beaded decomposition

We study the automorphisms ϕof a finitely generated free group F. Building on the train-track technology of Bestvina, Feighn and Handel, we provide a topological representative f:G\to G of a power of ϕthat behaves very much like the realization on the rose of a positive automorphism. This resemblance is encapsulated in the Beaded Decomposition Theorem which describes the structure of paths in G obtained by repeatedly passing to f-images of an edge and taking subpaths. This decomposition is the key to adapting our proof of the quadratic isoperimetric inequality for $F\rtimes_ϕ\mathbb Z$, with ϕpositive, to the general case. To illustrate the wider utility of our topological normal form, we provide a short proof that for every w in F, the function $n\mapsto |ϕ^n(w)|$ grows either polynomially or exponentially.

math.GR↗