Palindromic automorphisms of free groups. (Q2347994)

Let \(F_n\) be the group of rank \(n\) with free basis \(X=\{x_1,x_2,\ldots,x_n\}\). A palindrome is an element of \(F_n\) (expressed in \(X^{\pm 1}\)) that reads the same forwards and backwards. An automorphism is called palindromic if it maps each \(x_i\) to a palindrome. The set of palindromic automorphisms (denoted \(\Pi A_n\)) is a subgroup of the automorphism group \(\Aut(F_n)\) of \(F_n\) and it is called the palindromic subgroup of \(F_n\). \(\Pi A_n\) was first introduced and studied by \textit{D. J. Collins} [in Lond. Math. Soc. Lect. Note Ser. 204, 63-72 (1995; Zbl 0843.20022)]. More precisely, there it is proved that \(\Pi A_n\) is finitely presented and that it is generated by the following three types of automorphisms: \(t_i(x_i)=x^{-1}_i\), \(t_i(x_k)=x_k\), \(k\neq i\), \(\alpha_{i,i+1}(x_i)=x_{i+1}\), \(\alpha_{i,i+1}(x_{i+1})=x_i\), \(\alpha_{i,i+1}(x_k)=x_k,\) \(k\neq i\), \(\mu_{ij}(x_i)=x_jx_ix_j\), \(i\neq j\), \(\mu_{ij}(x_k)=x_k\), \(k\neq i\). The group \(E\Pi A_n=\{\mu_{ij}\mid 1\leq i\neq j\leq n\}\) is called the elementary palindrome automorphism group and the group \(ES_n=\{t_i,\alpha_{j,j+1}\mid 1\leq i\leq n,\;1\leq j\leq n-1\}\) is called the extended symmetric group. In the above mentioned paper it is proved that \(\Pi A_n=E\Pi A_n\rtimes ES_n\), \(n\geq 2\) and conjectured that \(E\Pi A_n\) is torsion free. In [\textit{H. H. Glover} and \textit{C. A. Jensen}, Comment. Math. Helv. 75, No. 4, 644-667 (2000; Zbl 0972.20021)] this conjecture is proved. In this paper the authors continue to study the group \(\Pi A_n\) and its subgroups. Theorem A: The center of \(\Pi A_n\) is the cyclic group of order two generated by the automorphisms \(t(x_i)=x_i^{-1}\), \(1\leq i\leq n\). A result proved also by \textit{A. I. Nekritsukhin} [Chebyshevskiĭ Sb. 15, No. 1(49), 141-145 (2014)]. In [\textit{A. I. Nekritsukhin}, Chebyshevskiĭ Sb. 11, No. 1(33), 199-201 (2010; Zbl 1278.20034)] it is investigated that in \(\Pi A_2\) there are five not conjugate involutions. Here it is proved that these are the only involutions up to conjugacy (Theorem 3.10 in the paper). A linear representation \(\varphi\colon\Pi A_2\to\text{GL}(2,\mathbb Z)\) is defined by \textit{A. I. Nekritsukhin} [in Chebyshevskiĭ Sb. 9, No. 1(25), 148-152 (2008; Zbl 1276.20029)]. Here (Proposition 4.1 in the paper) it is proved that this representation is faithful. Consequently it arises the problem if \(\Pi A_n\), or \(E\Pi A_n\) is linear for \(n\geq 3\). Since the symmetric group \(S_3\) is contained in \(\Pi A_n\) for \(n\geq 3\), the group \(\Pi A_n\) is not residually nilpotent. However it is proved that some interesting subgroups are residually nilpotent (Theorem 5.3 in the paper). The palindromic Torelli group \(PI_n\) is the subgroup of \(E\Pi A_n\) consisting of those automorphisms that act trivially on the abelianisation of \(F_n\). In [\textit{N. J. Fullarton}, ``Palindromic automorphisms of free groups and rigidity of automorphism groups of right-angled Artin groups'', PhD thesis, Univ. Glasgow (2014)] it is given a normal generating set of \(PI_n\). Here it is proved, through a long series of calculations Theorem B: \(PI_{n}=IA_n\cap E\Pi A_n'\) for each \(n\geq 3\). The paper concludes with interesting problems concerning the group \(\Pi A_n\) and its subgroups.