New examples of torsion-free non-unique product groups. (Q2450073)

Let \(G\) be a torsion-free group, \(K\) a field. The long-standing conjectures due to I. Kaplansky, namely that the group ring \(KG\) is without zero divisors and, the stronger one, that the group algebra \(KG\) has trivial units only, were investigated intensively in the past decades. By the classical result of D. S. Passman and S. K. Sehgal, the trivial unit conjecture holds true for up-groups. A famous example \(P=\langle x,y\mid xy^2x^{-1}y^2,\;yx^2y^{-1}x^2\rangle\) of a torsion-free non-up group was given by \textit{S. D. Promislow} [Bull. Lond. Math. Soc. 20, No. 4, 302-304 (1988; Zbl 0662.20022)]. It is known that \(P\) is supersolvable and satisfies the zero divisor conjecture. The author studies the groups \(P_k=\langle x,y\mid xy^{2^k}x^{-1}y^{2^k},\;yx^2y^{-1}x^2\rangle\) (\(k>1\)) which, on one hand, have structure different from that of \(P\), for instance they involve a noncommutative free group, and, on the other hand, have similar properties as \(P\) has, such as that they are free products with amalgamation of two Klein bottle groups, that they are torsion free non-up groups satisfying the zero divisor conjecture. Properties of the groups \(P_k\) (\(k>1\)), such as that they are pairwise non-isomorphic, contain arbitrarily large non-up sets, do not contain a copy of \(P\), are investigated in a systematic manner.