Test elements in solvable Baumslag-Solitar groups (Q2329079)

In the paper under review, the author gives an explicit description of all the endomorphisms and automorphisms of the solvable Baumslag-Solitar groups \(\mathrm{BS}(1,n)=\langle a,t \mid tat^{-1}=a^n\rangle\), in terms of the well-known normal form for the elements of these groups. As an application, he also gives a characterization of the retractions (i.e., homomorphisms \(\rho\colon G\to G\) such that \(\rho^2=\rho\)) of these groups: \(\rho\colon \mathrm{BS}(1,n)\to \mathrm{BS}(1,n)\) is a retraction if and only if \(\rho(a)=1\) and \(\rho(t)=t^{-p}a^q t^{p+1}\) for some \(p,q\ge 0\). A retract of \(G\) is the image (equivalently, the set of fixed points) of a retraction of \(G\). Furthermore, the author shows that these groups do not satisfy Turner's retract theorem. \textit{V. Shpilrain} [Isr. J. Math. 92, No. 1--3, 307--316 (1995; Zbl 0839.20044)] defined a test element in a group, \(g\in G\), as an element such that every endomorphism of \(G\) fixing \(g\) is an automorphism. \textit{E. C. Turner} [Bull. Lond. Math. Soc. 28, No. 3, 255--263 (1996; Zbl 0852.20022)] gave a characterization of test elements in free groups in what is known as Turner's retract theorem: \(g\in F_r\) is a test element if and only if it is not contained in any proper retract of \(F_r\). Later, this same result was extended to other families of groups, like torsion-free stably hyperbolic groups by \textit{J. C. O'Neill} and \textit{E. C. Turner} [New York J. Math. 6, 107--117 (2000; Zbl 0954.20020)], to general torsion-free hyperbolic groups by \textit{D. Groves} [New York J. Math. 18, 651--656 (2012; Zbl 1262.20047)], or to finitely generated profinite groups by \textit{I. Snopce} and \textit{S. Tanushevski} [Isr. J. Math. 219, No. 2, 783--816 (2017; Zbl 1418.20011)]. In the paper under review, it is proved that an element \(g\in \mathrm{BS}(1,n)\) is a test element if and only if its total \(t\)-exponent is zero, \(|g|_t=0\); then, the element \(t^{-4}at^7\) is neither a test element, nor does it lie in any proper retract of \(\mathrm{BS}(1,n)\). Hence, solvable Baumslag-Solitar group do not satisfy Turner's retract theorem.