A nilpotent group without local functional equations for pro-isomorphic subgroups. (Q2342295)

Let \(\Gamma\) be a torsion-free finitely generated nilpotent group. In analogy to classical zeta functions such as the Dedekind zeta function of a number field, Grunewald, Segal and Smith introduced zeta functions counting certain finite index subgroups of \(\Gamma\). In particular they considered four Dirichlet generating functions \(\sum_nb_n(\Gamma)n^{-s}\), taking as \(b_n(\Gamma)\) the number of subgroups \(\Delta\) of index \(n\) in \(\Gamma\) satisfying, respectively, the condition \(\Delta\leq\Gamma\) (the subgroup zeta function \(\zeta_\Gamma^\leq(s)\)), \(\Delta\trianglelefteq\Gamma\) (the normal zeta function \(\zeta_\Gamma^\trianglelefteq(s)\)), \(\Delta\cong\Gamma\) (the isomorphic zeta function \(\zeta_\Gamma^{\text{iso}}(s)\)), \(\widehat\Delta\cong\widehat\Gamma\) (the pro-isomorphic zeta function \(\zeta_\Gamma^\wedge(s)\)). The group \(\Gamma\) being nilpotent, one easily derives that \(\zeta_\Gamma^\leq(s)\), \(\zeta_\Gamma^\trianglelefteq(s)\) and \(\zeta_\Gamma^\wedge(s)\) admit an Euler product decomposition: \(\zeta^*_\Gamma(s)=\prod_p\zeta^*_{\Gamma,p}(s)\) for \(*\) one of \(\leq\), \(\trianglelefteq\), \(\wedge\) (in contrast, \(\zeta_\Gamma^{\text{iso}}(s)\) generally does not admit a decomposition of this kind). Over the last 20 years many important advances have been made in the study of zeta functions of nilpotent groups and one of the prominent questions driving the subject has been whether the local zeta functions satisfy functional equations on inverting \(p\). Voll derived positive answers for subgroup zeta functions in general and for normal zeta functions associated to groups of nilpotency class at most 2 and it is known that normal zeta functions of nilpotent groups of class 3 may or may not satisfy local functional equations. The authors manufacture the first example of a torsion-free finitely generated nilpotent group such that the local Euler factors do not satisfy functional equations on inverting \(p\). The group \(\Gamma\) has nilpotency class 4 and Hirsch length 25. It is obtained, via the Malcev correspondence, from a \(\mathbb Z\)-Lie lattice \(\Lambda\) with a suitable algebraic automorphism group \(\Aut(\Lambda)\).