Isomorphism conjecture for homotopy \(K\)-theory and groups acting on trees (Q2369029)

The authors define the isomorphism and the fibered isomorphism conjecture for homotopy algebraic \(K\)-theory. Homotopy algebraic \(K\)-theory of a ring \(R\), \(KH(R)\), was defined by \textit{C. A. Weibel} [``Homotopy algebraic \(K\)-theory'', Contemp. Math. 83, 461--488 (1989; Zbl 0669.18007)]. One of its main properties is that it is homotopy invariant: \(KH(R)\cong KH(R[t])\), that is, this theory does not have any nil groups like ordinary algebraic \(K\)-theory. This work studies different families of groups and their relevance in the isomorphism conjectures for homotopy algebraic \(K\)-theory. More concretely, consider the following properties for a family \(\mathcal{C}\) of groups: (FIN) all finite groups belong to \(\mathcal{C}\), (TREE) Let \(G\) be a group that acts on a tree T. If for \(x\in T\), we have that the isotropy group of \(x\) is in \(\mathcal{C}\) then \(G\) belongs to \(\mathcal{C}\), (COL) Let \(G_{i}\) be a directed system of subgroups of a group \(G\) such that \(G=\cup G_{i}\) and each \(G_{i}\) belongs to \(\mathcal{C}\), then \(G\) belongs to \(\mathcal{C}\) and (SUB) \(\mathcal{C}\) is closed under taking subgroups of groups in \(\mathcal{C}\). Let \(\mathcal{C}_{0}\) be the smallest class of groups satisfying (FIN), (TREE) and (COL). The first theorem is: The class of groups that satisfy the fibered \(KH\)-isomorphism conjecture for a fixed ring \(R\) satisfies (FIN), (TREE), (COL) and (SUB). If we omit the ``fibered'' property, this satisfies (FIN), (TREE) and (COL). As a consequence all groups in \(\mathcal{C}_{0}\) satisfy the fibered \(KH\)-isomorphism conjecture. The authors also study the relationship between the \(KH\)-isomorphism conjecture and the Farrell-Jones isomorphism conjecture. They prove that if a group satisfies the latter and there are no nil groups, then the group also satisfies the Farrell-Jones isomorphism conjecture. The authors also prove that the following families belong to \(\mathcal{C}_{0}\): One relator groups, poly-free groups, certain fundamental groups of 3-dimensional manifolds, fundamental groups of compact 2-dimensional manifolds and fundamental groups of submanifolds of the 3-sphere. They also study the behavior of homotopy algebraic \(K\)-theory with respect to Waldhausen nil groups.