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Peter Kropholler

Publications and source records attributed to Peter Kropholler.

11 recordsLinked to original sources
arXiv2025

Finiteness properties of Subgroups of Houghton Groups of full Hirsch length

In the 1980's K.S. Brown proved that the Houghton group $H_n$ is of type $\operatorname{F}_{n-1}$ but not $\operatorname{FP}_n$. We show that, provided $n\ge3$, the same conclusion holds for all subgroups $G$ of $H_n$ that are 'large' in the sense that there is an epimorphism $G\twoheadrightarrow\mathbb{Z}^{n-1}$. Our research leads naturally to the study of generalised permutational wreath products in which the base of the wreath product is a direct product of finite groups which are allowed to vary in isomorphism type from one orbit to another. Such generalised wreath products arise naturally amongst the large subgroups of Houghton groups and are accommodated by a generalised Jordan--Wielandt theorem.

math.GR↗
arXiv2021

Isoperimetric inequalities for Poincaré duality groups

We show that every oriented $n$-dimensional Poincaré duality group over a $*$-ring $R$ is amenable or satisfies a linear homological isoperimetric inequality in dimension $n-1$. As an application, we prove the Tits alternative for such groups when $n=2$. We then deduce a new proof of the fact that when $n=2$ and $R = \mathbb Z$ then the group in question is a surface group.

math.GR↗
arXiv2019

Group-graded rings satisfying the strong rank condition

A ring $R$ satisfies the {\it strong rank condition} (SRC) if, for every natural number $n$, the free $R$-submodules of $R^n$ all have rank $\leq n$. Let $G$ be a group and $R$ a ring strongly graded by $G$ such that the base ring $R_1$ is a domain. Using an argument originated by Laurent Bartholdi for studying cellular automata, we prove that $R$ satisfies SRC if and only if $R_1$ satisfies SRC and $G$ is amenable. The special case of this result for group rings allows us to prove a characterization of amenability involving the group von Neumann algebra that was conjectured by Wolfgang Lück. In addition, we include two applications to the study of group rings and their modules.

math.RA↗
arXiv2019

Homological Dimension of Solvable Groups

In this paper we prove that the homological dimension of an elementary amenable group over an arbitrary commutative coefficient ring is either infinite or equal to the Hirsch length of the group. Established theory gives simple group theoretical criteria for finiteness of homological dimension and so we can infer complete information about this invariant for elementary amenable groups. Stammbach proved the special case of solvable groups over coefficient fields of characteristic zero in an important paper dating from 1970.

math.GR↗
arXiv2018

Virtually torsion-free covers of minimax groups

We prove that every finitely generated, virtually solvable minimax group can be expressed as a homomorphic image of a virtually torsion-free, virtually solvable minimax group. This result enables us to generalize a theorem of Ch. Pittet and L. Saloff-Coste about random walks on finitely generated, virtually solvable minimax groups. Moreover, the paper identifies properties, such as the derived length and the nilpotency class of the Fitting subgroup, that are preserved in the covering process. Finally, we determine exactly which infinitely generated, virtually solvable minimax groups also possess this type of cover.

math.GR↗
arXiv2018

Soluble groups with no $\mathbb{Z} \wr \mathbb{Z}$ sections

In this article, we examine how the structure of soluble groups of infinite torsion-free rank with no section isomorphic to the wreath product of two infinite cyclic groups can be analysed. As a corollary, we obtain that if a finitely generated soluble group has a defined Krull dimension and has no sections isomorphic to the wreath product of two infinite cyclic groups then it is a group of finite torsion-free rank. There are further corollaries including applications to return probabilities for random walks. The paper concludes with constructions of examples that can be compared with recent constructions of Brieussel and Zheng.

math.GR↗
arXiv2015

On growth of homology torsion in amenable groups

Suppose an amenable group $G$ is acting freely on a simply connected simplicial complex $\tilde X$ with compact quotient $X$. Fix $n \geq 1$, assume $H_n(\tilde X, \mathbb{Z})=0$ and let $(H_i)$ be a Farber chain in $G$. We prove that the torsion of the integral homology in dimension $n$ of $\tilde{X}/H_i$ grows subexponentially in $[G:H_i]$. By way of contrast, if $X$ is not compact, there are solvable groups of derived length 3 for which torsion in homology can grow faster than any given function.

math.GR↗
arXiv2014

The cohomology of virtually torsion-free solvable groups of finite rank

Assume that $G$ is a virtually torsion-free solvable group of finite rank and $A$ a $\mathbb ZG$-module whose underlying abelian group is torsion-free and has finite rank. We stipulate a condition on $A$ that ensures that $H^n(G,A)$ and $H_n(G,A)$ are finite for all $n\geq 0$. Using this property for cohomology in dimension two, we deduce two results concerning the presence of near supplements and complements in solvable groups of finite rank. As an application of our near-supplement theorem, we obtain a new result regarding the homological dimension of solvable groups.

math.GR↗
arXiv2012

On subsets of $S^n$ whose $(n+1)$-point subsets are contained in open hemisheres

We investigate the nature of subsets of spheres which satisfy a tameness condition associated with the Bieri-Groves conjecture on cohomological finiteness conditions for metabelian groups. We find that there is a natural polyhedrality in a crucial special case. In the case of the two dimensional sphere we establish a strong polyhedrality condition for certain open sets which are maximal subject to satisfying the tameness condition that subsets of three or fewer points are contained in open hemispheres. Many examples are included.

math.GR↗
arXiv2004

Groups of small homological dimension and the Atiyah Conjecture

A group G has homological dimension less or equal to 1 if it is locally free. We prove the converse provided that G satisfies the Atiyah Conjecture about L^2-Betti numbers. We also show that a finitely generated elementary amenable group G of cohomological dimension less or equal to 2 possesses a finite 2-dimensional model for BG and in particular that G is finitely presented and the trivial ZG-module Z has a 2-dimensional resolution by finitely generated free ZG-modules.

math.GR↗