Elementary equivalence of a polycyclic-by-finite group and its profinite completion (Q1101541)

In [the author, Proc. Am. Math. Soc. (to appear; reviewed above)], we showed that any finitely generated abelian-by-finite group is an elementary submodel of its profinite completion. Here, we prove that, if G is a polycyclic-by-finite group which is not abelian-by-finite, then there exists an existential sentence which is false in G and true in the profinite completion of G. It follows that a polycyclic-by-finite group is elementarily equivalent to its profinite completion if and only if it is abelian-by-finite. In [loc. cit.], we proved this result only for finitely generated nilpotent-by-finite groups.