An integral homological characterization of finite groups. (Q2470401)

This note offers a proof of the sharp result that a group \(G\) is finite if and only if every injective \(\mathbb Z[G]\)-module has projective length one. Let \(\mathbb Z[G]\) be the integral group ring of \(G\), and let \(M\) be a \(\mathbb Z[G]\)-module. Define \(\text{pd}_{\mathbb Z[G]}M\) as the projective dimension of \(M\) and \(\text{in}_{\mathbb Z[G]}M\) as the injective dimension of \(M\). Introduce the invariants \[ \begin{aligned} &\text{silp\,}\mathbb Z[G]=\sup\{\text{in}_{\mathbb Z[G]}P\mid P\text{ a projective }\mathbb Z[G]\text{-module}\}\\ &\text{spli\,}\mathbb Z[G]=\sup\{\text{pd}_{\mathbb Z[G]}I\mid I\text{ an injective }\mathbb Z[G]\text{-module}\}.\end{aligned} \] From \textit{T. V. Gedrich} and \textit{K. W. Gruenberg}, [Topology Appl. 25, 203-223 (1987; Zbl 0656.16013)], it is known that for any group \(G\), \(\text{silp\,}\mathbb Z[G]\leq\text{spli\,}\mathbb Z[G]\). Also, if \(\text{spli\,}\mathbb Z[G]\) is finite, then \(\text{silp\,}\mathbb Z[G]=\text{spli\,}\mathbb Z[G]\). The main result of the paper is proven by showing that a group \(G\) is finite if and only if \(\text{spli\,}\mathbb Z[G]=1\). From Gedrich and Gruenberg, if \(H\) is a subgroup of \(G\), then (1) \(\text{spli\,}\mathbb Z[H]\leq\text{spli\,}\mathbb Z[G]\). (2) If the index of \(H\) in \(G\) is finite, then \(\text{spli\,}\mathbb Z[H]=\text{spli\,}\mathbb Z[G]\). As a corollary, if \(G\) is finite, then \(\text{spli\,}\mathbb Z[G]=1\). The converse of this statement is proven by first observing that from [\textit{O. Talelli}, Bull. Lond. Math. Soc. 37, No. 4, 547-554 (2005; Zbl 1079.20068)], if \(\text{spli\,}\mathbb Z[G]\) is finite, then there is a \(\mathbb Z\)-split exact sequence \(0\to\mathbb Z\to A\) with \(A\) being \(\mathbb Z\)-free and \(\text{pd}_{\mathbb Z[G]}A<\infty\). Hence, \(G\) acts on a tree with finite vertex stabilizers, and either \(G\) contains an element of infinite order, or \(G\) is a countable locally finite group. Separate arguments are given for each of these two cases to complete the proof.