Polynomiality properties of group extensions with a torsion-free Abelian kernel (Q1906470)

A map \(f:G \to B\) from a multiplicative group \(G\) into an additive Abelian group \(B\) is called a polynomial map of degree \(\leq n\) if its linear extension to the integral group ring \(\mathbb{Z} G\) vanishes on \(\Delta^{n+1} (G)\), where \(\Delta(G)\) is the augmentation ideal of \(\mathbb{Z} G\). If \(B\) is a \(G\)-module, the author defines a normalized 2-cocycle \(f:G \times G \to B\) to be a polynomial 2-cocycle of degree \(\leq (m,n)\) if, for every \(a \in G\), the maps \(f(a, -)\), \(f(-,a):G \to B\) are polynomial maps of degree \(\leq n\) and \(\leq m\) respectively. This leads to an increasing filtration \(\{P_n H^2 (G,B)\}_{n \geq 0}\) of the second cohomology group \(H^2 (G,B)\), where \(P_n H^2 (G,B)\) consists of those cohomology classes which are representable by polynomial 2-cocycles of degree \(\leq (n,n+1)\). The case when \(G\) acts trivially on \(B\) has been studied earlier in the literature, mainly motivated by the relationship with the study of dimension subgroups [see the reviewer: Group rings and their augmentation ideals (Lect. Notes Math. 715, 1979; Zbl 0405.20007)]. One of the main results of the paper is a characterization of the cohomology classes lying in \(P_n H^2 (G,B)\) when \(B\) is an additively torsion-free nilpotent module and either \(B\) is divisible or \(G\) is finitely generated (\(B\) is called nilpotent of class \(\leq k\) if \(\Delta^k(G)B=0\)). If further \(G\) is torsion-free nilpotent, then a bound for the number of steps required for the filtration to reach \(H^2(G,B)\) is obtained. The paper makes an extensive study of relative polynomial construction \(\Delta (E)/(\Delta(B) \Delta(E)+\Delta^{n+1} (E))\), \(B \triangleleft E\), and indicates a wide range of possible applications.