Geometry for palindromic automorphism groups of free groups (Q1596289)

A reduced word in a free group \(F_n\) of rank \(n\) with a fixed generating system is called palindrome if it is equal to its reverse (i.e. the same word read from the left and the right), the palindromic automorphism group \(\Pi A(F_n)\) is the subgroup of \(\Aut(F_n)\) generated by all palindromic automorphisms of \(F_n\), i.e. mapping each generator of the generating system to a palindromic word (this is also the centralizer in \(\Aut(F_n)\) of the automorphism sending each generator to its inverse). As explained in the paper, the palindromic automorphism group is related to hyperelliptic involutions of mapping class groups and congruence subgroups of \(\text{SL}_n(\mathbb{Z})\). On the basis of a strong analogy with the symmetric automorphism group \(\Sigma A(F_n)\) of \(F_n\), Collins conjectured that the two groups should have some similar (cohomological) properties; in the present paper it is shown that this is, in fact, the case. The main results are as follows: the virtual cohomological dimension of \(\Pi A(F_n)\) is \(n-1\), and the rational cohomology of \(\Pi A(F_n)\) in dimension \(n-1\) is zero (the virtual cohomological dimension of \(\Sigma A(F_n)\) has been computed by \textit{D. J. Collins} [in Comment. Math. Helv. 64, No. 1, 44-61 (1989; Zbl 0669.20027)]); the elementary palindromic automorphism group \(E\Pi A(F_n)\) generated by the elementary palindromic automorphisms (sending a generator \(a_i\) to \(a_ja_ia_j\) and fixing all other generators) is torsion free; for an odd prime \(p\) and \(n=p,p+1,p+2\), the Farrell cohomology of \(\Pi A(F_n)\) (coefficients in \(\mathbb{Z}_{(p)}\)) is that of the symmetric group on \(p\) letters, and the Krull dimension of the Farrell cohomology is determined. The cohomological properties of the groups \(\Pi A(F_n)\) are obtained by constructing contractible spaces on which they act properly and with finite quotients (in analogy with auter or outer space for \(\Aut(F_n)\)).