Schreier rewriting beyond the classical setting. (Q1042888)

Let \(A_1,\dots,A_s\) be transformations of a set \(M\). Then \(M\) naturally acquires the structure of a \(W\)-set, where \(W\) is a free monoid of rank \(s\) or a free group of rank \(s\), if these transformations are invertible or, finally, a free associative algebra of rank \(s\) (respectively, the group algebra of a free group of rank \(s\)) if \(M\) is a vector space and all transformations are linear (respectively, linear and invertible). In case of actions of the free monoids, the authors establish a Schreier type formula in terms of formal power series on the ranks of subactions in terms of the ranks of actions. Also, they establish Grassmann-type relations for the ranks of intersections of subactions of free actions, this may be viewed as an analogue of Howson's formula in group theory. Next, the authors study the coset action of the free group and establish a generalization of the Schreier formula to the case of subgroups of infinite index in the following form. Theorem. Let \(H\) be a subgroup of a free group \(F\) of rank \(r\geq 1\). For each coset \(Hg\), \(g\in F\), we choose an element of the shortest reduced length and let \(c_n(F/H)\) be the number of cosets of the shortest reduced length \(n\), \(n\geq 1\). Next consider the Hilbert series \(\mathcal H(F/H,t)=\sum_{n=1}^\infty c_n(F/H) t^n\). Then \(H\) has a symmetric set of free generators \(B\) with the following properties. Let \(c_n(B)\) denote the number of elements in \(B\) of reduced length \(n\), and set \[ a_n(B)=\tfrac 14 c_{2n-2}(B)+\tfrac 12 c_{2n-1}(B)+\tfrac 14 c_{2n}(B),\quad n\geq 1. \] Denote \(\widetilde{\mathcal H}(B,t)=\sum_{n=1}^\infty a_n(B)t^n\). Then the following relation holds: \[ \widetilde{\mathcal H}(B,t)=\left(rt-\tfrac {t+1}2\right)\mathcal H(F/H,t)+\tfrac {t+1}2. \] Finally, the authors use Schreier techniques in the case of so called large modules over free associative algebras. Here the authors use large modules to produce examples of finitely generated nil-modules with additional properties.