Linear representations of the automorphism group of a free group. (Q1005074)

Let \(F_n\) be the free group on \(n\geq 2\) elements and \(\Aut(F_n)\) its group of automorphisms. Let \(G\) be a finite group and \(\pi\colon F_n\to G\) a surjective homomorphism with \(\text{Ker\,}\pi=R\). Let \(\Gamma(R)=\{\varphi\in\Aut(F_n)\mid\varphi(R)=R\}\) and \(\Gamma(G,\pi)=\{\varphi\in\Gamma(R)\mid\varphi\) induces the identity on \(F_n/R\}\). These are subgroups of finite index in \(\Aut(F_n)\). The presentation \(\pi\colon F_n\to G\) is called redundant if there is a basis of \(F_n\) with at least one member of this basis contained in \(\text{Ker\,}\pi\). If \(\overline R=R/R'\), the structure of \(\overline R\) as a \(G\)-module is described by Gaschütz's theory, more precisely it is proved that \(\mathbb{Q}\otimes_\mathbb{Z}\overline R\cong\mathbb{Q}\oplus\mathbb{Q}[G]^{n-1}\) [see \textit{W. Gaschütz}, Math. Z. 60, 274-286 (1954; Zbl 0056.02401) or \textit{K. Gruenberg}, Relation modules of finite groups. Conf. Board Math. Sci. Reg. Conf. Ser. Math. 25, Providence: AMS (1976; Zbl 0327.20019)]. If \(t\) is the \(\mathbb{Z}\)-rank of \(\overline R\) as a finitely generated free Abelian group, then the group \(\mathcal G_{G,\pi}=\Aut_G(\mathbb{C}\otimes_\mathbb{Z}\overline R)\) is a \(\mathbb{Q}\)-defined algebraic subgroup of \(\text{GL}(t,\mathbb{C})\). Let \(\mathcal G_{G,\pi}^{1}\leq\text{SL}(t,\mathbb{C})\) be the kernel of all \(\mathbb{Q}\)-defined homomorphisms from the complex algebraic group \(\mathbb{C}\otimes\mathcal G_{G,\pi}\) to the multiplicative group. Interesting are the corresponding subgroups \(\mathcal G_{G,\pi}(\mathbb{Z})=\{\varphi\in\mathcal G_{G,\pi}\mid\varphi(\overline R)=\overline R\}\) and \(\mathcal G_{G,\pi}^1(\mathbb{Z})=\{\varphi\in\mathcal G_{G,\pi}^1\mid\varphi(\overline R)=\overline R\}\), which play an important role in the concept. The definitions of the groups \(\Gamma(G,\pi)\) and \(\mathcal G_{G,\pi}(\mathbb{Z})\) lead to a homomorphism \(\varrho_{G,\pi}\colon\Gamma(G,\pi)\to\mathcal G_{G,\pi}(\mathbb{Z})\) in a ``natural'' way (see section 2 of the paper). This representation is not, in general, onto (there are given examples in the paper). Theorem: Let \(n\) be a natural number with \(n\geq 4\) and \(\pi\colon F_n\to G\) be a redundant presentation of the finite group \(G\). Then \(\varrho_{G,\pi}(\Gamma(G,\pi))\cap\mathcal G_{G,\pi}^1\) is of finite index in the arithmetic group \(\mathcal G_{G,\pi}^1(\mathbb{Z})\). Interesting are particularly results where the finite group \(G\) is metabelian, where it is proved that the image of \(\Gamma(G,\pi)\) is commensurable with \(\mathcal G_{G,\pi}^1(\mathbb{Z})\). An interesting Corollary is: Let \(n\geq 2\), \(k\geq 1\) be natural numbers. There is a subgroup \(\Gamma\leq\Aut(F_n)\) of finite index and a representation \(\varrho\colon\Gamma\to\prod_{i=1}^k\text{SL}((n-1)i,\mathbb{Z})\) such that \(\varrho(\Gamma)\) is of finite index in \(\prod_{i=1}^k\text{SL}((n-1)i,\mathbb{Z})\). This Corollary for \(n=3\) and \(k=1\) proves that \(\Aut(F_3)\) is large, in the sense that there is a finite index subgroup of \(\Aut(F_3)\) with quotient a free non-Abelian group. Similar results are proved for \(\text{IA}(F_3)\) and \(\text{Out}(F_3)\).