Group theoretic properties of the group of computable automorphisms of a countable dense linear order (Q1810808)

This article explores \(\text{Aut}_c ( {\mathbb Q})\), the group of computable automorphisms of a countable dense linear order without endpoints. These computable automorphisms form a countable subgroup of the group of all automorphisms, \(\text{Aut} ( {\mathbb Q})\). The authors prove that like \(\text{Aut} ( {\mathbb Q})\), \(\text{Aut}_c ( {\mathbb Q})\) has exactly three nontrivial normal subgroups and every element of \(\text{Aut}_c ( {\mathbb Q})\) is a commutator. By contrast, although (1) \(\text{Aut} ( {\mathbb Q})\) is divisible, (2) every element of \(\text{Aut} ( {\mathbb Q})\) is a commutator of itself with some other element, and (3) two elements of \(\text{Aut} ( {\mathbb Q})\) are conjugate if and only if they have isomorphic orbital structures, these three properties fail in \(\text{Aut}_c ( {\mathbb Q})\). The proofs are computability-theoretic in presentation with corollaries in reverse mathematics. The article is closely related to work of \textit{A. S. Morozov} and \textit{J. K. Truss} [J. Symb. Log. 66, 1458-1470 (2001; Zbl 0990.03034)] and work in reverse mathematics of algebra, e.g., by \textit{R. Solomon} [Bull. Symb. Log. 5, 45-58 (1999; Zbl 0922.03078)] and \textit{H. M. Friedman}, \textit{S. G. Simpson,} and \textit{R. L. Smith} [Ann. Pure Appl. Logic 25, 141-181 (1983; Zbl 0575.03038)].