Alternating quotients of free groups. (Q353409)

Summary: We strengthen Marshall Hall's theorem to show that free groups are locally extended residually alternating. Let \(F\) be any free group of rank at least two, let \(H\) be a finitely generated subgroup of infinite index in \(F\) and let \(\{\gamma_1,\dots,\gamma_n\}\subseteq F\setminus H\) be a finite subset. Then there is a surjection \(f\) from \(F\) to a finite alternating group such that \(f(\gamma_i)\not\in f(H)\) for any \(i\). The techniques of this paper can also provide symmetric quotients.