Pro-\(p\) completions of groups of cohomological dimension 2. (Q2814680)

The author studies when an abstract finitely presented group \(G\) of cohomological dimension \(\mathrm{cd}(G)=2\) has pro-\(p\) completion \(\widehat G_p\) of cohomological dimension \(\mathrm{cd}(\widehat G_p)\leq 2\). In an earlier paper she found a connection between the properties \(\mathrm{cd}(\widehat G_p)\leq 2\), \(\chi(G)=\chi(\widehat G_p)\) and the properties \(p\)-goodness and homological \(p\)-goodness.NEWLINENEWLINE In the present paper this result is generalized by dropping the assumption that \(G\) and \(\widehat G_p\) have the same Euler characteristic but requiring the extra condition that the second analytic Betti number \(\beta_2^{(2)}(G)<1\). Using this result, the author classifies when for a hyperbolic limit group \(G\) the pro-\(p\) completion \(\widehat G_p\) is free pro-\(p\). An example is also given of a limit group \(G\) which is not free but such that \(\widehat G_p\) is free pro-\(p\) for every prime \(p\) (the example is a one relator group with a defining relation of length 10). It is also proved that \(\mathrm{cd}(\widehat G_p)\leq 2\) if \(G\) is a tree hyperbolic limit group and that the pro-\(p\) completion of a finitely generated residually free group \(G\) that is not a limit group is not free pro-\(p\).