Remarks on a technique of Dunwoody (Q1181442)

A group \(G\) is said to act on a planar cover if there is a regular covering \(\pi: \tilde K\to K\) of 2-dimensional complexes with \(K\) finite and \(G\) as a group of covering transformations and such that the natural map \(H^ 1_ c(\tilde K;\mathbb{Z}_ 2)\to H^ 1(\tilde K;\mathbb{Z}_ 2)\) is zero, where \(H^ 1_ c\) denotes cohomology with compact support. Theorem 1.2: A group which acts on a planar cover is accessible. The proof involves extending arguments of \textit{W. Dicks} and \textit{M. J. Dunwoody} [Groups acting on graphs (1989; Zbl 0665.20001)] and of \textit{M. J. Dunwoody} [Invent. Math. 81, 449-457 (1985; Zbl 0572.20025)]. Also obtained is an equivariant loop theorem. A group \(G\) is said to be finitely defined by derivations over a commutative ring \(R\) if it satisfies any of the four equivalent conditions of Theorem 2.2; one of these is that there is an exact sequence \(N\rightarrowtail H\twoheadrightarrow G\) with \(H\) finitely presented such that any derivation \(S\) from \(H\) to \(RG\) satisfies \(S(N)=0\). Corollary 2.3 states that a finitely generated group acts on a planar cover if and only if it is finitely defined by derivations over \(\mathbb{Z}_ 2\). The wreath product of two infinite cyclic groups is finitely defined by derivations (over any \(R\)) but is not almost finitely presented.