The geometric invariants of certain group extensions with applications to twisted conjugacy. (Q492254): Difference between revisions

Bieri, Neumann and Strebel introduced geometric invariants \(\Sigma^n(G)\) for each positive integer \(n\) and \(G\) a finitely generated group. More recently \textit{N. Koban} [in Topology Appl. 153, No. 12, 1975-1993 (2006; Zbl 1153.20041)] introduced a new set of invariants, denoted by \(\Omega^n(G)\), which are closely related to the invariants \(\Sigma^n(G)\). Some results are known about formulas relating the invariants of the product of two groups and the invariants of the factors, but not much is known about the invariants of the middle group of a short exact sequence. The goal of the article under review is to give a contribution to the problem of how to compute the invariants of an extension in terms of the kernel and the image of the short exact sequence. This is done for both invariants for some values of \(n\), and some conditions on the extension are assumed. They show: Theorem 3.5: Given an extension \(1\to N\to G\to Q\to 1\) of finitely generated groups. Suppose \(\text{Ext}(G,N)=\{0\}\). Then \(\Sigma^1(G)=\Sigma^1(Q)\). For semi-direct product: Theorem 3.8: Suppose \(G\cong N\times_\alpha Z\) where \(\alpha^n\in\text{Inn}(N)\) for some \(n\geq 1\). If \(\Sigma^1=\emptyset\), then \(\Sigma^1(G)=\{|\chi|\mid\eta\chi(t)\neq\chi(h)\}\) where \(Z=\langle t\rangle\) and \(\alpha^n\) is conjugation by \(h\). For central extensions: Theorem 3.10: \(\Omega^1(G)\cong\partial_\infty\text{Ext}(G,N)*\Omega^1(Q)\). The paper contains several examples, notoriously ones about the fundamental group of a closed 3-manifold. In the final two sections applications of the \(\Sigma\)-invariants and \(\Omega\)-invariants are given for the study of the \(R_\infty\) property (i.e. when a group has the property that any automorphism has an infinite number of Reidemeister classes), where again several examples illustrate the results.