On the theories of free solvable groups (Q1295586)

From MaRDI portal
scientific article
Language Label Description Also known as
English
On the theories of free solvable groups
scientific article

    Statements

    On the theories of free solvable groups (English)
    0 references
    0 references
    11 October 1999
    0 references
    In 1960, Malcev proved that a noncyclic free solvable group \(S\) of class \(\geq 2\) has an undecidable theory. The author proves that if Hilbert's 10th problem has a negative answer for the field of rationals (still a famous open question), then the universal theory of \(S\) in the case of class \(\geq 3\) is undecidable. Remind that the universal theory of a free metabelian group is decidable by the author's known theorem. Note that by the reviewer's result Hilbert's 10th problem for the rationals is equivalent to the problem of the decidability of the universal theory of a noncyclic free nilpotent group of class \(\geq 2\). To derive his main theorems the author proves that the terms of the derived series of a free solvable group are definable by existential formulae. Malcev defined them by universal ones.
    0 references
    0 references
    0 references
    0 references
    0 references
    0 references
    0 references
    free solvable groups
    0 references
    existential formulae
    0 references
    universal theories
    0 references
    definability
    0 references
    decidability
    0 references
    universal formulae
    0 references