Meta-nilpotent quotients of mapping-torus groups and two topological invariants of quadratic forms (Q2046771)

Let \(F=F_1\) be a free group and let \(F_k\) be the commutator subgroup \([F,F_{k-1}]\) defined inductively. The author calls a semi-direct product \(F/F_k\rtimes \mathbb Z\) a \textit{ meta nilpotent quotient}. In this paper, the center of \(F/F_3\rtimes \mathbb Z\) is determined which is interesting since \(F/F_3\rtimes \mathbb Z\) appears as mapping torus group. As an application, the author introduces a knot invariant of a quadratic form.