Finiteness properties for a subgroup of the pure symmetric automorphism group. (Q2269658)

In this note the author considers the group \(P\Sigma_n\), the pure symmetric automorphism group, i.e. the group of automorphisms of the group \(F_n\), free on \(n\) generators, consisting of the automorphisms which send each generator to a conjugate of itself. The homomorphism \(F_n\to F_{n-1}\) which sends one generator to the identity, induces a homomorphism \(P\Sigma_n\to P\Sigma_{n-1}\) which has kernel \(K_n\). The author studies this group and combining previous results of McCool, D. J. Collins and others she proves that \(K_n\) is finitely generated, has cohomological dimension \(n-1\) and for \(n\geq 3\) its \(i\)-th homology group \(H_i(K_n;\mathbb Z)\) for \(2\leq i\leq n-1\) is not finitely generated. This last result has as a corollary that \(K_n\) is not finitely presentable for \(n\geq 3\), generalizing thus a result of D. J. Collins.