On the uniqueness of HNN decompositions of a group (Q1181451)

The authors prove the following uniqueness theorem for HNN decompositions of a group: Let \(G = A *_ C t\) be an HNN-extension of a group \(A\) with stable letter \(t\) and associated subgroups \(C\) and \(t C t^{-1}\) and suppose \(C\) is nontrivial, \(A\) is finitely generated and \(A\) is indecomposable with respect to \(C\) and \(t C t^{-1}\). Let \(G = A' *_{C'} s\) and suppose \(C'\) is a subgroup of a conjugate of \(C\) and \(C'\) is nonascending in \(G\). Then there is an element \(g\) in \(G\) such that \((A',C') = (g A g^{-1},g C g^{-1})\) or \((A',s C' s^{-1}) = (g A g^{-1},g C g^{-1})\) and if \(C' \subset C\) then \(g\) can be chosen such that \(g C g^{-1} = C\) or \(g C g^{-1} = s C s^{-1}\). If the assumption \(G = A' *_{C'} s\) is replaced by \(G = A' *_{C'}B'\) with \(A' \neq C' \neq B'\) then it is shown that \(C\) and \(t C t^{-1}\) are conjugate in \(A\), there is \(s\) in \(G\) such that \(G = A *_ C s\) with \(s C s^{-1} = C\), and \(G = A *_ C B\) with \(B = \langle C,s\rangle\); and there is \(g \in G\) such that either \((A',C',B') = (g A g^{-1},g C g^{-1},g B g^{-1})\) or \((g B g^{-1}, g C g^{-1}, g A g^{-1})\). Moreover, if \(C' \subset C\), \(g\) can be chosen so that \(g C g^{-1} = C\). Applying these results, the authors prove a splitting theorem for a 3- manifold along a nonseparating annulus. The contents of the paper extends results obtained by the second author [Combinatorial group theory, Proc. Conf., College Park 1988, Contemp. Math. 109, 139-146 (1990; Zbl 0743.20023)] in which he proved a splitting theorem for a 3-manifold along a separating annulus.