Realizations of countable groups as fundamental groups of compacta (Q358267)

It is well-known that every group \(G\) admits a \(CW\)-complex \(X_G\) satisfying \(\pi_1(X_G)\cong G\). Also \(X_G\) may be a finite \(CW\)-complex if and only if \(G\) is finitely presented. In this case \(X_G\) is a compact metric space. Clearly every finitely presented group is finitely generated and every finitely generated group is countable but not vice versa. It is quite natural to ask whether every countable group can be realized as the fundamental group of a compact metric space and this has been an open question for a long time. In the paper under review the author gives an affirmative answer to this open question by constructing a compact path connected subspace \(X_G\) of \(\mathbb{R}^4\) with \(\pi_1(X_G)\cong G\) for any given countable group \(G\). Note that Shelah proved that \(G\) must be finitely generated if \(G\) is countable and \(X_G\) is a Peano continuum (i.e. a compact, connected, locally path connected metric space) and hence the rationals can not be the fundamental group of a Peano continuum. Therefore the construction of the paper can not result in a locally path connected space. The main result of the paper together with well-known results in this area yield the following two interesting consequences. {Theorem} Let \(X\) be a path connected space with countable fundamental group \(G\). If \(X\) is compact, metric and locally path connected, then \(G\) is finitely presented. {Theorem} Let \(X\) be a path connected space with countable fundamental group \(G\). If \(X\) satisfies only two of the three properties listed below, then \(G\) may be any countable group. 1. Compactness. 2. Metrizability. 3. Locally path connectedness.