The QSF property for groups and spaces (Q1909543)

Adapting some ideas of Casson's, we define a new property of finite two-complexes using approximations of their universal covers. We show that this property only depends on the fundamental group and so may be considered a property of finitely presented groups. Using Gersten and Stallings' exposition of a theorem of Casson's, we prove that if \(M\) is a closed \(\mathbb{P}^2\)-irreducible three-manifold whose fundamental group is infinite and has this property then the universal cover of \(M\) is Euclidean space, \(\mathbb{R}^3\). We study this property and show that it is preserved by taking amalgamations and HNN extensions. Furthermore we show that all one-relator groups and all simply connected at infinity groups have this property.