The unique product property of groups and their amalgamated free products (Q1906657)

A group \(G\) is called a unique product (u.p.) group if for every pair \((S,T)\) of finite, non-empty subsets of \(G\), there is a pair \((s_0,t_0)\in S\times T\) such that for all other pairs \((s,t)\in S\times T\) one has \(st\neq s_0t_0\). (It follows that for any ring \(R\) without zero-divisors, the group ring \(RG\) also has no zero-divisors. However there is a non-u.p. group \(G\) for which \(RG\) has no zero-divisors for every integral domain \(R\) [\textit{S. D. Promislow}, Bull. Lond. Math. Soc. 20, No. 4, 302-304 (1988; Zbl 0662.20022)].) A group \(G\) is called inert over a subgroup \(H\) if for every pair \((S,T)\) of finite subsets of \(G\) either \(ST\subseteq H\) or there is a unique product in \(ST\setminus H\). (This implies that \(G\) is u.p.) \textit{A. I. Lichtman} [Commun. Algebra 9, 533-551 (1981; Zbl 0455.20025)] showed that \((A*B;U)\), the free product of groups \(A\) and \(B\) amalgamating the common subgroup \(U\), is u.p. if \(A\) and \(B\) are both inert over \(U\). In the present paper a more technical, and perhaps necessarily more restrictive, condition is introduced on the way a subgroup \(H\) is situated in a group \(G\), called ``violent non-normality'' (vnn), and it is shown that \((A*B;U)\) is u.p. if \(U\) is vnn in \(A\), \(A\) is inert over \(U\), and \(B\) is u.p. (but otherwise unrestricted). Examples are given of pairs \(H\leq G\) with \(H\) vnn in \(G\), of which the most interesting (and difficult) is that where \(G\) is free on \(x\), \(y\) and \(H\) is the cycle generated by \(x^my^nx^{-m}y^{-n}\) for any fixed non-zero integers \(m\), \(n\). Other more general facts about the vnn property are established.