Diophantine geometry over groups. VI: The elementary theory of a free group. (Q2501184)

The author applies the tools and techniques presented in the previous papers in the sequence [for part V\(_2\) cf. ibid. 537-706 (2006; see the preceding review Zbl 1118.20034)] to answer some of A. Tarski's problems on the elementary theory of a free group, and generalizations of these problems. Theorem 1. Let \(F_k\) be a (non-Abelian) free group, and let \(Q(p)\) be a definable set over \(F_k\). Then \(Q(p)\) is in the Boolean algebra of \(AE\) sets over \(F_k\). Theorem 2. Let \(Q(p)\) be a set defined by a coefficient-free predicate over a group. Then there exists a set \(L(p)\) defined by a coefficient-free predicate which is in the Boolean algebra of \(AE\) predicates, so that for every free group \(F_k\), \(k\geq 2\), the sets \(Q(p)\) and \(L(p)\) are equivalent. Theorem 3. The elementary theories of non-Abelian finitely generated free groups are equivalent. Theorem 4. Let \(F_k,F_l\) be free groups for \(2\leq k\leq l\). Then the standard embedding \(F_k\to F_l\) is an elementary embedding. Theorem 7. A finitely generated group is elementarily equivalent to a non-Abelian free group if and only if it is a non-elementary hyperbolic \(\omega\)-residually free tower.