Searcharxiv⌕ Search

arXiv subjects

Sam P. Fisher

Publications and source records attributed to Sam P. Fisher.

12 recordsLinked to original sources
arXiv2026

A note on normal generation and the first $\ell^2$-betti number

In $2011$, Osin and Thom conjectured that the first $\ell^2$-Betti number of a torsion-free discrete group is bounded above by the normal rank of the group minus one. The conjecture has surprising consequences for some fundamental problems in group theory and topology. These include the Wiegold problem on perfect groups, the Levin conjecture, the torsion-free case of the Kervaire conjecture, and an important special case of the Whitehead asphericity conjecture. In this article, we construct for each $n\in \mathbb{N}$ a countable torsion-free group $\Gamma_n$ such that $\beta^{(2)}_1(\Gamma_n)=n$ and so that the normal rank, $n(\Gamma_n)$, equals one. This disproves the conjecture. Our counterexamples are locally free and hence locally indicable. However, they are not finitely generated.

math.GR↗
arXiv2026

Outer automorphism groups and the Atiyah Conjecture

Let $G$ be the fundamental group of a compact surface, a finitely generated free group, or more generally a finitely generated right-angled Artin group. We prove that the von Neumann dimension function of $\mathrm{Out}(G)$ is valued in a discrete subgroup of $\mathbb Q$. This is accomplished by establishing the Strong Atiyah Conjecture for a torsion-free subgroup of $\mathrm{Out}(G)$ of finite index. We also prove that for every field $\mathbb K$, there exists a torsion-free subgroup $H \leqslant \mathrm{Out}(G)$ of finite index such that $\mathbb K[H]$ embeds into a division ring, and hence satisfies the Zero Divisor Conjecture. These results are obtained by establishing analogous ones for a suitable open subgroup of $\mathrm{Out}(\mathbf G)$ and its completed group algebra, where $\mathbf G$ denotes the pro-$p$ completion of $G$. In an appendix, the first author shows that an automorphism of a free nilpotent group is inner if and only if it induces an inner automorphism of its pro-$p$ completion.

math.GR↗
arXiv2026

Coherent RFRS groups

We prove that a finitely generated virtually RFRS group of cohomological dimension at most $2$ is coherent if and only if its second $L^{2}$-Betti number vanishes if and only if it is virtually free-by-cyclic. The non-vanishing of the second $L^{2}$-Betti number provides the first known global obstruction to coherence in any reasonably wide class of groups, allowing for proofs of incoherence without needing to exhibit explicit witnesses to incoherence. As applications of this result, we completely characterise coherence among two-dimensional Coxeter groups, confirming conjectures of Jankiewicz and Wise, and show that incoherence is generic in groups of nonpositive deficiency, confirming a conjecture of Wise. We also find that, among virtually compact special groups of virtual cohomological dimension two, coherence is algorithmically decidable and is a quasi-isometry, measure equivalence, and profinite invariant. In an appendix, Marco Linton applies one of the main results to prove that cubulated locally quasi-convex hyperbolic groups are virtually free-by-cyclic, solving problems of Abdenbi--Wise and Wise in the cubulated case.

math.GR↗
arXiv2025

Novikov cohomology, finite domination, and cohomological dimension

We introduce the $\Sigma^*$-invariant of a group of finite type, which is defined to be the subset of non-zero characters $\chi \in \mathrm H^1(G;\mathbb R)$ with vanishing associated top-dimensional Novikov cohomology. We prove an analogue of Sikorav's Theorem for this invariant, namely that $\mathrm{cd}(\ker \chi) = \mathrm{cd}(G) - 1$ if and only if $\pm \chi \in \Sigma^*(G)$ for integral characters $\chi$. This implies that cohomological dimension drop is an open property among integral characters. We also study the cohomological dimension of arbitrary co-Abelian subgroups. The techniques yield a short new proof of Ranicki's criterion for finite domination of infinite cyclic covers, and in a different direction, we prove that the algebra of affiliated operators $\mathcal U(G)$ of a RFRS group $G$ has weak dimension at most one if and only if $G$ is an iterated (cyclic or finite) extension of a free group.

math.GR↗
arXiv2025

Virtual fibring of Poincar\'e-duality groups

We show that a RFRS Poincar\'e-duality group $G$ admits a virtual epimorphism to the integers whose kernel is itself a Poincar\'e-duality group over every field if and only if the $L^2$-homology of $G$ vanishes and so do the positive-characteristic variants thereof. Our investigations yield a more general relationship between cohomology at infinity of groups that algebraically fibre and their fibres. In particular, we show that if the fundamental group of an aspherical manifold of dimension at least three algebraically fibres, then the fibre is one ended.

math.GR↗
arXiv2024

On the cohomological dimension of kernels of maps to $\mathbb Z$

We prove that if $G$ is a finitely generated RFRS group of cohomological dimension $2$, then $G$ is virtually free-by-cyclic if and only if $b_2^{(2)}(G) = 0$. This answers a question of Wise and generalises and gives a new proof of a recent theorem of Kielak and Linton, where the same result is obtained under the additional hypotheses that $G$ is virtually compact special and hyperbolic. More generally, we show that if $G$ is a RFRS group of cohomological dimension $n$ and of type $\mathrm{FP}_{n-1}$, then $G$ admits a virtual map to $\mathbb Z$ with kernel of rational cohomological dimension $n-1$ if and only if $b_n^{(2)}(G) = 0$.

math.GR↗
arXiv2023

The Hanna Neumann Conjecture for graphs of free groups with cyclic edge groups

The Hanna Neumann Conjecture (HNC) for a free group $G$ predicts that $\overline{\chi}(U\cap V)\leq \overline{\chi} (U)\overline{\chi}(V)$ for all finitely generated subgroups $U$ and $V$, where $\overline{\chi}(H) = \max\{-\chi(H),0\}$ denotes the reduced Euler characteristic of $H$. A strengthened version of the HNC was proved independently by Friedman and Mineyev in 2011. Recently, Antol\'in and Jaikin-Zapirain introduced the $L^2$-Hall property and showed that if $G$ is a hyperbolic limit group that satisfies this property, then $G$ satisfies the HNC. Antol\'in and Jaikin-Zapirain established the $L^2$-Hall property for free and surface groups, which Brown and Kharlampovich extended to all limit groups. In this article, we prove the $L^2$-Hall property for graphs of free groups with cyclic edge groups that are hyperbolic relative to virtually abelian subgroups. We also give another proof of the $L^2$-Hall property for limit groups. As a corollary, we show that all these groups satisfy a strengthened version of the HNC.

math.GR↗
arXiv2023

Division rings for group algebras of virtually compact special groups and $3$-manifold groups

Let $k$ be a division ring and let $G$ be either a torsion-free virtually compact special group or a finitely generated torsion-free $3$-manifold group. We embed the group algebra $kG$ in a division ring and prove that the embedding is Hughes-free whenever $G$ is locally indicable. In particular, we prove that Kaplansky's Zero Divisor Conjecture holds for all group algebras of torsion-free $3$-manifold groups. The embedding is also used to confirm a conjecture of Kielak and Linton. Thanks to the work of Jaikin-Zapirain and Linton, another consequence of the embedding is that $kG$ is coherent whenever $G$ is a virtually compact special one-relator group. If $G$ is a torsion-free one-relator group, let $\overline{kG}$ be the division ring containing $kG$ constructed by Lewin and Lewin. We prove that $\overline{kG}$ is Hughes-free whenever a Hughes-free $kG$-division ring exists. This is always the case when $k$ is of characteristic zero; in positive characteristic, our previous result implies that this happens when $G$ is virtually compact special.

math.GR↗
arXiv2022

Algebraic fibrings of a hyperbolic $7$-manifold

We show there is a finite-volume, hyperbolic $7$-manifold that algebraically fibres with finitely presented kernel of type $\mathtt{FP}(\mathbb Q)$. This manifold is a finite cover of the one constructed by Italiano--Martelli--Migliorini.

math.GR↗
arXiv2022

Homological growth of Artin kernels in positive characteristic

We prove an analogue of the L\"uck Approximation Theorem in positive characteristic for certain residually finite rationally soluble (RFRS) groups including right-angled Artin groups and Bestvina--Brady groups. Specifically, we prove that the mod $p$ homology growth equals the dimension of the group homology with coefficients in a certain universal division ring and this is independent of the choice of residual chain. For general RFRS groups we obtain an inequality between the invariants. We also consider a number of applications to fibring, amenable category, and minimal volume entropy.

math.GR↗
arXiv2021

Improved algebraic fibrings

We show that a virtually RFRS group $G$ of type $\mathrm{FP}_n(\mathbb{Q})$ virtually algebraically fibres with kernel of type $\mathrm{FP}_n(\mathbb{Q})$ if and only if the first $n$ $\ell^2$-Betti numbers of $G$ vanish, that is, $b_p^{(2)}(G) = 0$ for $0 \leqslant p \leqslant n$. We also offer a variant of this result over other fields, in particular in positive characteristic. As an application of the main result, we show that virtually amenable RFRS groups of type $\mathrm{FP}(\mathbb{Q})$ are polycyclic-by-finite. It then follows that if $G$ is a virtually RFRS group of type $\mathrm{FP}(\mathbb{Q})$ such that $\mathbb{Z}G$ is Noetherian, then $G$ is polycyclic-by-finite. This answers a longstanding conjecture of Baer for virtually RFRS groups of type $\mathrm{FP}(\mathbb{Q})$.

math.GR↗