Zeta functions of virtually nilpotent groups (Q314402)

For a finitely generated group \(G\) and a positive integer \(n,\) let \(a_n^\leq(G)\) and \(a_n^\vartriangleleft(G)\) denote the number of subgroups and normal subgroups of \(G\) of index \(n\), respectively. \textit{F. J. Grunewald} et al. [Invent. Math. 93, No. 1, 185--223 (1988; Zbl 0651.20040)] introduced the Dirichlet series associated to these sequences. They are called the subgroup and the normal zeta functions of \(G\) and are denoted by \(\zeta_G^\leq(s)\) and \(\zeta_G^\vartriangleleft(s)\). In particular, Grunewald, Segal and Smith [loc. cit.] and \textit{M. P. F. du Sautoy} [Bull. Am. Math. Soc., New Ser. 23, No. 1, 121--126 (1990; Zbl 0724.22010)] proved that \(\zeta_G^*(s)\) has some remarkable properties in the particular case of finitely generated torsion free nilpotent groups: \(\zeta_G^*(s)\) has a rational abscissa of convergence, admits a meromorphic continuation to the left and can be decomposed as an Euler product of local \(p\)-factors \(\zeta_{G,p}^*(s)\) that are rational functions of \(p^{-s}\). The aim of this paper is the extension of these results to the class of finitely generated virtually nilpotent groups. The author proves that the subgroup and the normal zeta functions of finitely generated virtually nilpotent groups can be written as a finite sum of Euler products of cone integrals and deduces from this that they have rational abscissae of convergence and meromorphic continuation. He also defines Mal'cev completions of a finitely generated virtually nilpotent group and proves that the subgroup growth and the normal subgroup growth of the latter is an invariant of its \(\mathbb Q\)-Mal'cev completion.