Relating the Freiheitssatz to the asymptotic behavior of a group (Q1941168)

A finitely presented group is said to be \textit{properly 3-realizable} if it is the fundamental group of a finite 2-dimensional \(CW\)-complex whose universal cover has the proper homotopy type of a 3-manifold. A finitely presented infinite group \(G\) is said to have a fundamental pro-group \textit{of telescopic type at each end} if there is a finite presentation \(P\) of \(G\) and a \(CW\)-complex \(L\) together with an exhaustion by compact subsets \(C_1 \subset C_2 \subset \ldots \subset L\) such that, for any choice of base ray, the inverse sequence of groups \[ 0 = \pi_1 (L) \leftarrow \pi_1 (L - C_1 ) \leftarrow \pi_1 (L - C_2 ) \leftarrow \dots \] is pro-isomorphic to a telescopic tower. Given a group presentation \(P = \langle X; R\rangle \), let \(K_P\) denote its Cayley complex, and let \(p :\widetilde {K_P} \rightarrow K_P\) be its universal cover. If, in addition, the \(CW\)-complex \(L\) above satisfies \(\dim(L) = 2\) and the following two conditions: {\parindent=6mm \begin{itemize}\item[(i)] the proper homotopy equivalence \(\widetilde{K_P} \rightarrow L\) can be taken to be a strong proper homotopy equivalence; \item[(ii)] the tower above is telescopic, and the subsets \(C_i \subset L\) are all finite simply connected subcomplexes; \end{itemize}} then the group \(G\) is said to have a \textit{nice fundamental pro-group at each end}. Furthermore, if the presentation \(P\) of \(G\) satisfies the Freiheitssatz, then we define \(P\) as a \textit{special} presentation of \(G\). The first main result in the paper in stated below: Theorem (1.10). Let \(G\) be an finitely presented infinite group. If \(G\) has a fundamental pro-group of telescopic type at each end, then \(G\) is properly 3-realizable. This result is derived by generalising an analogous result for the 1-ended case ([\textit{F. F. Lasheras}, Bull. Aust. Math. Soc. 72, No. 2, 187--196 (2005; Zbl 1086.57002)], Theorem 1.2) to the infinitely many ended case using results of Stallings (see e.g. [\textit{R. Geoghegan}, Topological methods in group theory. New York, NY: Springer (2008; Zbl 1141.57001)]; [\textit{P. Scott} and \textit{T. Wall}, Lond. Math. Soc. Lect. Note Ser. 36, 137--203 (1979; Zbl 0423.20023)]) and \textit{M. J. Dunwoody} [Invent. Math. 81, 449--457 (1985; Zbl 0572.20025)]. As a direct consequence to Theorem 1.10, the authors provide an affirmative answer to Conjecture 1.5 in [\textit{M. Cárdenas} et al., Rev. Mat. Iberoam. 25, No. 2, 739--756 (2009; Zbl 1182.57002)] in the following corollary: Corollary (1.12). All finitely generated one-relator groups are properly 3-realizable. The second main result in the paper is stated as follows: Theorem (1.13). Let \(G\) and \(H\) be finitely presented groups having nice fundamental pro-groups at each end, and let \(P = \langle X; R\rangle \) and \(Q = \langle Y ; S\rangle \) be special presentations of \(G\) and \(H\), respectively. Let \(V \subset X\) and \(W \subset Y\), together with a bijection \(\eta : V \rightarrow W\), be subsets not containing all the generators involved in any of the relators of the corresponding presentation. Then, the corresponding amalgamated product \(G\ast_ F H\) associated with \(\eta\) (over a free group of rank \(\mathrm{card}(V) = \mathrm{card}(W))\) also has a nice fundamental pro-group at each end. Moreover, the obvious presentation for \(G \ast_F H\) is also special. To prove the theorem above, the authors consider a special presentation \(R\) of \(G \ast_F H\), and then divide the the argument into three steps -- the first step involves the structure of \(\widetilde{K_R}\), the second involves an alteration of \(\widetilde{K_R}\) within its (strong) homotopy type to obtain a new 2-dimensional \(CW\)-complex \(\widehat{K_R}\), and the final step involves the building of a filtration of \(\widehat{K_R}\). Since this result can be applied repeatedly, it provides another method of constructing new groups having a nice fundamental pro-group at each end. Furthermore, it gives new insights into the study of the relationship between the Freiheitssatz and the asymptotic behavior of groups. Let \(C\) denote the class of all finitely generated one-relator groups together with those finitely presented groups which can be obtained by successive applications of Theorem 1.13 starting from any one-relator group presentations so that \(C\) is closed under amalgamated products of the type described in Theorem 1.13. If \(P = \langle X; R\rangle \), the following application of Theorem 1.13 for staggered presentations [\textit{R. C. Lyndon} and \textit{P. E. Schupp}, Combinatorial group theory. Reprint of the 1977 ed. Berlin: Springer (2001; Zbl 0997.20037)] is derived by induction on \(\mathrm{card}(R)\). Corollary (1.16). Every finitely presented group \(G\) given by a staggered presentation \(P\) is in \(C\) and hence it has a nice fundamental pro-group at each end. Finally, the following result is obtained as a direct consequence of Theorem 1.13. Corollary (1.17). Every group \(G \in C\) is both semistable at infinity and properly 3-realizable.