Formality properties of finitely generated groups and Lie algebras (Q2317893)

There are several distinct ways to associate to a finitely generated group \(G\) a Lie algebra \(\mathfrak{g}\) over a field \(k\) of characteristic \(0\). A first method, due to Magnus, is to start from the lower central series \(\gamma_i(G)\), defined inductively as \(\gamma_1(G) = G\) and \(\gamma_{i+1}(G) = [G,\gamma_{i}(G)]\), and consider the direct sum of the vector spaces \(\left(\gamma_i(G) / \gamma_{i+1}(G) \right) \otimes k\). This vector space is equiped with a Lie bracket induced by the commutator on the group \(G\) and forms a graded Lie algebra, called the associated \emph{graded Lie algebra}. A second method, leading to the \emph{holonomy Lie algebra}, starts from the free Lie algebra on \(H^1(G,k)\) and takes the quotient by the ideal generated by the dual of the cup product map in degree \(1\). For the third method, recall that every finitely generated torsion-free nilpotent group uniquely corresponds to a rational Lie algebra, called the rational Mal'cev completion. By considering the torsion-free quotients of the nilpotent groups \(G / \gamma_{i}(G)\), looking at the corresponding rational Mal'cev completions extended over the field \(k\) and taking the inverse limit, one gets the so-called \emph{Malcev Lie algebra} of \(G\). The paper under review studies the formality properties of these Lie algebras, in particular how these behave under field extensions \(k \subset K\) and under certain group constructions as direct products, coproducts and split injections. Two types of formality are considered, namely \emph{graded-formality} and \emph{filtered-formality}. We say that a group \(G\) is graded-formal if the graded Lie algebra is isomorphic, as a graded Lie algebra, to the holonomy Lie algebra. On the other hand, the group \(G\) is filtered-formal if the Malcev Lie algebra is isomorphic, as a filtered Lie algebra, to the completion of the graded Lie algebra. Previously, attention was only focused on satisfying both conditions at the same time, which is defined as being \emph{\(1\)-formal}. The authors give concrete examples, showing that all possible combinations of these formality properties occur. The paper gives an extensive introduction to these different notions, including an overview of which sections cover which main results.