Relative ends and duality groups (Q582397)

Let G be any group and S any subgroup. Let \({\mathcal P}G\) denote the power set of G and let \({\mathcal F}_ SG\) denote the set of S-finite subsets of G, \[ {\mathcal F}_ SG=\{A\subseteq G| \quad A\subseteq SU\text{ for some finite subset U of }G\}. \] Both \({\mathcal P}G\) and \({\mathcal F}_ SG\) admit the action of G by right multiplication and can be regarded as right G-modules over the field F of two elements. In analogy to the classical theory of ends, the authors define an algebraic number of ends of the pair (G,S) as follows: \(\tilde e(G,S)=\dim_ F({\mathcal P}G/{\mathcal F}_ SG)^ G\). When S is the trivial subgroup, this yields the classical number of ends of the group G. The invariant is closely related to the geometric end invariant \(e(G,S)\) introduced by \textit{C. H. Houghton} [J. Aust. Math. Soc. 17, 274-284 (1974; Zbl 0289.22005)] and \textit{P. Scott} [J. Pure Appl. Algebra 11, 179-198 (1977; Zbl 0368.20021)]. The authors in fact give a common generalization of the two ideas as follows. Let M be a right FS-module. Let \(End^ G_ S(M)\) denote the cokernel of the natural embedding \(M\otimes_{FS}FG\to Hom_{FS}(FG,M)\). Then define \(e(G,S;M)=\dim_ F(End^ G_ S(M))^ G\). It is shown that \(e(G,S)=e(G,S;F)\) and \(\tilde e(G,S)=e(G,S;{\mathcal P}S).\) The paper is concerned with techniques for computing e(G,S). In particular, it is shown that Lemma. If S has infinite index in G, then \(e(G,S)=1+\dim_ FH^ 1(G,{\mathcal F}_ SG)\). - The classical number of ends of a group must be 0, 1, 2 or infinite. A related theorem is proved for this invariant. Let \(Comm_ S(G)\) (the commensurizer) be the subgroup of g in G such that S and the conjugate \(S^ g\) are commensurable. Then we have Theorem. Let G and S be finitely generated and suppose that S has infinite index in \(Comm_ S(G)\). Then \(\tilde e(G,S)\) is either 1, 2 or infinite. In the case when \(\tilde e(G,S)=2\) there are subgroups \(G_ 0\) and \(S_ 0\) of finite index in G and S, respectively, such that \(S_ 0\) is normal in \(G_ 0\) and \(G_ 0/S_ 0\) is infinite cyclic. In the last section, the authors investigate some examples concentrating particularly on the case when G is a Poincaré duality group. They show that \(\tilde e(G,S)\) may be any nonnegative integer as well as infinity. They also raise the question as to whether there is some analogue of the Stallings structure theorem for relative ends of groups.