Subgroup graph methods for presentations of finitely generated groups and the contractibility of associated simplicial complexes (Q2362574): Difference between revisions

\textit{I. Kapovich} and \textit{A. Myasnikov} [J. Algebra 248, No. 2, 608--668 (2002; Zbl 1001.20015)] described techniques to study subgroups of free groups via graphs and their foldings. The author of the present paper generalizes these techniques to study finite index subgroups of finitely generated (though not necessarily finitely presented) groups. For each such group \(G\) with presentation \(\langle\, X \mid R\,\rangle\) and each subgroup \(H\) of \(G\) of finite index \(n\), she associates a connected graph with \(n\) vertices whose edges are labeled by elements of \(X\) and whose closed paths reflect the relators \(R\). This \textit{subgroup graph}, which is revealed to be the Schreier coset graph of \(H\) with respect to \(X\), carries much essential information about \(H\), and is unique up to isomorphism in this category. Furthermore, she identifies \(H\) as the language subgroup (in the sense of graph automata) of the subgroup graph. A first collection of applications describe how various properties of subgroups -- for example, the conjugacy of subgroups and the normality of a subgroup -- are reflected in their subgroup graphs. Note that the main results on subgroup graphs apply to finite groups and their subgroups. The author shows how subgroup graphs identify Sylow (and, more generally, Hall) subgroups of a finite group, and uses these tools to prove an easy (and known) divisibility property involving a finite group with a malnormal subgroup (i.e. a group with a Frobenius kernel). The second application relates to the poset \(P_{\mathrm{fi}}(G)\) of cosets of proper finite index subgroups of \(G\) under inclusion and its associated simplicial complex of chains \(\Delta(P_{\mathrm{fi}}(G))\). When \(G\) is finite, \(\Delta(P_{\mathrm{fi}}(G))\) is known not to be contractible. The author exhibits sufficient conditions for contractibility of \(\Delta(P_{\mathrm{fi}}(G))\) for a finitely generated group in terms of the existence of a family of subgroup graphs of selected finite index subgroups of \(G\). She then verifies this condition for a number of families of infinite groups, including free groups, free abelian groups, Artin groups, pure braid groups, Baumslag-Solitar groups, and infinite virtually cyclic groups. Furthermore, the contractibility is inherited by finite index subgroups of these groups, and preserved by their free products, direct products, and semidirect products. The foundational results on subgroup graphs are straightforward and for the most part follow Kapovich and Myasnikov [loc. cit.]. It's surprising that this generalization has never been developed as it is here.