Group localization and two problems of Levine (Q2349899)

This paper considers two forms of localization of groups, one due to Bousfield is the \(H{\mathbb Z}\)-localization [\textit{A. K. Bousfield}, Topology 14, 133--150 (1975; Zbl 0309.55013)] the other due to \textit{J. P. Levine} [Contemp. Math. 109, 99--105 (1990; Zbl 0755.20007)] is an algebraic closure that describes how the Vogel localization of a space affects the fundamental group of the space. Letting \(E(G)\) denote either of these two localizations one can ask what is the kernel of \((G \rightarrow E(G))\). This paper shows that in the case of the Bousfield localization this kernel need not be a relatively perfect subgroup, and in the Levine case it need not be the union of the relatively perfect subgroups. The paper gives explicit constructions for each case. One such example can be constructed starting with the binary icosahedral group.