Hyperbolic one-relator groups

DOI10.4153/S0008414X24000427MaRDI QIDQ6864171zbMATH OpenFDO

Authors Marco Linton

Publication date 4 February 2026

Published in Canadian Journal of Mathematics (Search for Journal in Brave)

Copyright license Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International

Full work available at URL https://doi.org/10.4153/S0008414X24000427

zbMATH Keywords

free groupsGersten's conjecturehyperbolic groupsMagnus hierarchyone-relator groups

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Free products of groups, free products with amalgamation, Higman-Neumann-Neumann extensions, and generalizations (20E06) Generators, relations, and presentations of groups (20F05) Hyperbolic groups and nonpositively curved groups (20F67)

Review text

The general question of when a group is hyperbolic becomes meaningful if we focus to special classes of groups. In the case of one-relator groups it is conjectured by \textit{S. M. Gersten} [in: Algorithms and classification in combinatorial group theory. Lectures of a workshop on algorithms, word problems and classification in combinatorial group theory, held at MSRI, Berkeley, CA, USA, January 1989. New York etc.: Springer-Verlag. 225--232 (1992; Zbl 0781.20022)] that: One-relator groups without Baumslag-Solitar subgroups are hyperbolic.\N\NIn this paper the author improve this and prove:\N\NGersten's conjecture is true if it is true for primitive extension groups. (Corollary 5.7).\N\NA one-relator group \(F(\Sigma )/ \langle \langle\,w\,\rangle \rangle\) has an exceptional intersection if there are subsets \(A,\,B \subset \Sigma \) that generate Magnus subgroups and such that the following holds in the quotient: \(\langle\,A\,\rangle \cap \langle \,B\,\rangle \, \not =\,\langle\,A\cap B\rangle\).\N\N\NIn [\textit{M. Linton}, Duke Math. J. 174, No. 4, 747--802 (2025; Zbl 1567.20080)], it is shown that if \(G\,=\,H\ast _{ \psi }\) is a one-relator splitting where \(G\) does not contain any Baumslag-Solitar subgroups, \(H\) is hyperbolic and the edge groups of the splitting are quasi-convex and do not have exceptional intersection, then \(G\) acts acylindrically on its Bass-Serre tree and so is hyperbolic by [\textit{M. Bestvina} and \textit{M. Feighn}, J. Differ. Geom. 35, No. 1, 85--102 (1992; Zbl 0724.57029)].\N\NHere it is proved:\N\N\N\textbf{Theorem 3.17} Let \(G\) be a one-relator group with exceptional intersection. One of the following holds:\N\N(1) \(G\) is 2-free.\N\N(2) There is a two-generator one-relator generalised Baumslag-Solitar subgroup \(H\leq G\) such that every nonfree two-generator\Nsubgroup of \(G\) is conjugate into \(H\).\N\NTo be obtained this result the author introduces the primitive exceptional intersection groups (Definition 3.2) and Prove the:\N\N\textbf{Theorem 3.5} Primitive exceptional intersection groups are 2-free.\N\NIn section 4, are defined the one-relator complexes, the one-relator towers and the primitive extension complexes and discussed their properties (see Proposition 4.3, Lemma 4.5, Proposition 4.6). Finally it is proved the main result of this section.\N\N\textbf{Theorem 4.7} Magnus subgroups of hyperbolic one-relator groups are quasi-convex.\N\NThis theorem was already known in the case of one-relator groups with torsion by \textit{B. B. Newman}'s Spelling Theorem [Bull. Am. Math. Soc. 74, 568--571 (1968; Zbl 0174.04603)]. It was also known in the case of hyperbolic one-relator groups with quasi-convex one-relator hierarchies [\textit{M. Linton}, Duke Math. J. 174, No. 4, 747--802 (2025; Zbl 1567.20080)].\N\N\NAs a consequence, it is proved (Theorem 4.8), a strengthening of the main tool from [loc. cit.].\N\NIn section 5 are defined the primitive extension groups (two types of these groups) and it is proved the:\N\N\textbf{Theorem 5.6} A one-relator group is hyperbolic (and virtually special) if its primitive extension subgroups are hyperbolic (and virtually special).\N\NFrom this follows immediately the improved Gersten's conjecture.

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Cited in

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• JSJ decompositions and polytopes for two-generator one-relator groups

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