Cartesian subgroups in graph products of groups
Let \(\Gamma\) be a simple graph with vertex set \([m] := \{1, \dots, m\}\). Given a sequence \(\underline{G} = (G_1, \dots, G_m)\) of \(m\) discrete groups, the \textit{graph product} \(\underline{G}^{\Gamma}\) is defined as the quotient of the free product \(G_1 \ast \cdots \ast G_m\) by the normal closure of the commutators \([g_i, g_j] := g_i^{-1}g_j^{-1}g_i g_j \) such that \(g_i \in G_i, g_j \in G_j\) and \(\{i, j\} \in \Gamma\). The \textit{Cartesian subgroup} \(\operatorname{Cart}(\underline{G}, \Gamma)\) is the kernel of the natural homomorphism \N\[\N\underline{G}^{\Gamma} \twoheadrightarrow G_1 \times \cdots \times G_m.\N\]\NLet \(C = \operatorname{Cart}(\underline{G}, \Gamma)\). The author exhibits a group presentation \N\[\N\left\langle \hat{D}\, \vert\, R \right\rangle\N\]\Nof \(C\) such that \(\hat{D}\) yields a generating set of \(C\) with minimal cardinality, i. e., \(\operatorname{rank}(C) = \vert \hat{D}\vert\) and \(R\) is a set of relators which satisfies, under some circumstances, the identity \(\vert R \vert = \operatorname{rank}\left(H_2(C; \mathbb{Z})\right)\). The proof leverages the fact that \(C\) is the fundamental group of a polyhedral product and borrows results from the homotopy theory of such spaces. The generators in \(\hat{D}\) have a more compact description than those found in Theorem 5.2(a) of [\textit{T. Panov} and \textit{Y. Veryovkin}, J. Algebra 521, 284--298 (2019; Zbl 1444.20028)]; they are inspired by generators of right-angled Coxeter groups discovered by Li Cai in an unpublished work.\N\NFurther definitions are required to describe the group presentation \(\left\langle \hat{D}\, \vert\, R \right\rangle\) in more detail. Let \((\underline{X}, \underline{A}) = \left((X_1, A_1), \dots, (X_m, A_m)\right)\) be a sequence of \(m\) pairs of topological spaces such that \(A_i \subseteq X_i\) and let \(\mathcal{K}\) be a simplicial complex on \([m]\). The corresponding \textit{polyhedral product} is the following subspace of \(X_1 \times \cdots \times X_m\): \N\[\N(\underline{X}, \underline{A})^{\mathcal{K}} := \bigcup_{I \subseteq [m]} \left( \prod_{i \in I} X_i \times \prod_{i \in [m] \setminus I} A_i \right).\N\]\NLet \(\Gamma\), \(\underline{G} = (G_1, \dots, G_m)\) and \(C\) be defined as before. Let \(\mathcal{K}\) be the clique complex of \(\Gamma\). For each group \(G_i\), denote by \(EG_i\) the total space of a universal bundle \(EG_i \rightarrow BG_i\) and set \(E\underline{G} = (EG_1, \dots, EG_m)\).\N\NThe identity \N\[\NC = \pi_1((E\underline{G}, \underline{G})^{\mathcal{K}})\N\]\Nholds by virtue of Theorem 3.2 of [\textit{T. E. Panov} and \textit{Y. A. Veryovkin}, Sb. Math. 207, No. 11, 1582--1600 (2016; Zbl 1397.20040); translation from Mat. Sb. 207, No. 11, 105--126 (2016)]. This shows in particular a notable fact: the isomorphism class of \(C\) depends only on the cardinalities \(\vert G_i \vert\) \((i \in [m])\).\N\NFor \(I \subseteq [m]\), denote by \(\mathcal{K}_I\) the full subcomplex of \(\mathcal{K}\) with vertex set \(I\). Define \(\Theta(I)\) as the subset of \([m] \setminus \{\max(I)\}\) made of the vertices whose index is minimal inside their connected component in \(\mathcal{K}_I\). For \(I \subseteq [m]\), denote by \(\operatorname{Gen}(I)\) a fixed minimal generating set of \(\Pi_1(\mathcal{K}_I)\), the fundamental group of the wedge sum of the connected components of \(\mathcal{K}_I\).\N\NWe are now in position to describe the generating set \(\hat{D}\) of the author's group presentation. For \(I \subseteq [m]\), \(\{i, j\} \in \mathcal{K}_I\) and \(\underline{g} \in \prod_{i \in I} G_i^{\ast}\), with \(G_i^{\ast} := G_i \setminus \{1_i\}\), set \N\[\N\ell_{\underline{g}}(i, I) := \left( \prod_{j \in I} g_j \right) \cdot g_i^{-1} \cdot \left( \prod_{j \in I \setminus \{i\}} g_j\right)^{-1} \in C.\N\]\NThen \(\hat{D}\) is the set of letters \N\[\N\{ L_{\underline{g}}(i, I) \, \vert \, \emptyset \neq I \subseteq [m], i \in \Theta(I), \underline{g} \in \Pi_{j \in I} G_j^{\ast}\}.\]\NThe map \(L_{\underline{g}}(i, I) \mapsto \ell_{\underline{g}}(i, I)\) induces a surjective homomorphism from the free group \(F(\hat{D})\) onto \(C\) whose kernel is normally generated by the set of reduced words \N\[\NR = \{r_{\underline{g}}(\lambda, I) \,,\vert \, \emptyset \neq I \subseteq [m], \underline{g} \in \Pi_{j \in I} G_j^{\ast}, \lambda \in \operatorname{Gen}(I)\}\N\]\Nwhere each relator \(r_{\underline{g}}(\lambda, I)\) can be effectively computed (Theorem 4.11 and Proposition 4.7). Let \(\operatorname{Cone}(\underline{G}) = (\operatorname{Cone}(G_1), \dots, \operatorname{Cone}(G_m))\) and let \[B = \left(\operatorname{Cone}(\underline{G}),\underline{G}\right)^{\mathcal{K}}.\] Two key ingredients in the proof of Theorem 4.11 are:\N\begin{itemize}\N\item the identity \(C = \pi_1(B)\), which follows from the homotopy equivalence \(B \simeq \left(E\underline{G},\underline{G}\right)^{\mathcal{K}}\),\N\item the decomposition of \(B\) as a finite union of contractible CW-subcomplexes, each homeomorphic to \(([0, 1], \{1\})^{\mathcal{K}}\).\N\end{itemize}\NThe proof of Theorem 4.11 proceeds by induction on the number of those homeomorphic subcomplexes, using van Kampen's theorem.\N\NIf every group \(G_i\) is finite, then \(\left\langle \hat{D}\, \vert\, R \right\rangle\) is a finite presentation, the deficiency of which is at most \(\vert R \vert - \vert \hat{D} \vert\) and at least \(\operatorname{rank}(H_2(C; \mathbb{Z})) - \vert \hat{D}\vert\) (Theorem 1.2 and Remark 6.1). Let \N\[\N\pi = {\large{\ast}}_{\emptyset \neq I \subseteq [m]} \Pi_1(\mathcal{K}_I)^{*n_I}\N\]\Nwhere \(n_I := \prod_{i \in I} \vert G_i^{\ast} \vert\). Then the author shows that \(\vert R \vert = \operatorname{rank}(\pi)\) and \(H_2(C; \mathbb{Z}) = \pi_{ab}\), where \(\pi_{ab}\) denotes the Abelianization of \(\pi\). Thus, the two previous bounds coincide if \(\operatorname{rank}(\pi) = \operatorname{rank}(\pi_{ab})\). The latter holds in particular if \(\mathcal{K}\) is a full subcomplex in a flat triangulation of a closed oriented surface (Proposition 6.3). The author proves in addition that his group presentation is still valid if \(\Gamma\) is infinite (Section 6.1). He also indicates how his results can be applied to compute the fundamental groups of real partial quotients (Section 6.3).\N\NThe article is written with great care and is nicely illustrated. It contains four inviting problems, all in the immediate continuation of the author's results.
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