Automorphisms of free groups. I. (Q374071)

Let \(F\) be the free group of rank \(r\). Determining the algebraic structure of \(\Aut(F)\) is a very hard problem. The paper under review provides information about certain algebraic structures that are related to this group. More precisely, the author relates certain natural Lie algebras to \(\Aut(F)\) and gives information about their structure. Let \(F_n\) be the \(n\)-th term of the lower central series of \(F\) and \(A_n\) the kernel of the natural map \(\Aut(F)\to\Aut(F/F_{n+1})\) and \(\mathcal L\) the Lie algebra that corresponds to the filtration of \(\Aut(F)\) by \(A_n\). A second natural Lie algebra is constructed as above applied to the pronilpotent completion of \(F\), denoted by \(\widehat F\). In this case, the filtration is given by \(B_n\), the kernels of the corresponding natural map. The Lie algebra that corresponds to this filtration of \(\Aut(\widehat F)\) is denoted by \(\mathcal M\). The structure of \(\mathcal M\) is described using first order differential operators in non-commuting variables. The main results of the paper are on certain classical questions asked about the structure of these Lie algebras that were originally formulated by \textit{S. Andreadakis} [Proc. Lond. Math. Soc., III. Ser. 15, 239-268 (1965; Zbl 0135.04502)]. The main idea in the proofs is that the objects are considered as \(\mathrm{GL}_r(\mathbb Q)\)-modules. For those modules there is a classical description of their decomposition as irreducible modules using tableaux. The first result relates the filtration \(\{A_n\}\) with the lower central series filtration of \(A_1\), \(\{\gamma_n(A_1)\}\). It states that \(\gamma_n(A_1)\) is a subgroup of finite index in \(A_n\) and \(A_n\) is the radical group of \(\gamma_n(A_1)\). In particular, for \(r=3\), the author shows that the quotient group \(A_7/\gamma_7(A_1)\cong\mathbb Z/3\), disposing the original conjecture of Andreadakis that claimed that the two groups are equal. For this, the author compares rationally the filtration \(\{A_n\}\) with a filtration \(A'_n=A_1\cap(1+\varpi^n)\), where \(\varpi\) is the augmentation ideal of the ring \(\mathbb QA_1\). Then, if \(\mathcal L_n'\) is the Lie algebra corresponding to the filtration \(\{A'_n\}\), \(\mathcal L_n\otimes\mathbb Q\equiv\mathcal L_n'\otimes\mathbb Q\) as graded algebras and consequently \(A_n=A'_n\) and the result follows. For the calculational part of the theorem the author uses GAP. The second result finds a closed formula for the rank of \(\mathcal L_n\), again slightly correcting earlier calculation by Andreadakis. For this result and the other results, let \(\mathcal R\) be the free ring generated by \(r\) non-commuting variables and \(\mathcal R_n\) is the subalgebra generated by words of length \(n\). If \(\mathcal J\) is the closed lower central series of \(\widehat F\), then \(\mathcal J\) is a subalgebra of \(\mathcal R\). Also, there is an algebra homomorphism \(\mathcal R\to\mathcal M\) whose restriction to \(\mathcal J\) is injective and its image consists of the inner automorphisms. The second theorem follows from the fact that the rank of \(\mathcal L_n\) is \(r\text{rank\,}\mathcal R^1_{n+1}-\text{rank\,}\mathcal R_n\), where \(\mathcal R^1_{n+1}\subset\mathcal R_{n+1}\) consists of products of \(\mathcal R_1\) involving more than one Lie bracket. Also, it is used that \(\mathcal M_n\) is isomorphic to \(H_1(\widehat F,\mathbb Z)^*\otimes\mathcal J_{n+1}\). For the third main result, notice that \(\mathcal M_n\otimes\mathbb Q\) is a \(\mathrm{GL}_r(\mathbb Q)\)-module. Let \(\mathcal A_n\) be the \(\mathrm{GL}_r(\mathbb Q)\)-orbit of the elements of \(\mathcal M_n\otimes\mathbb Q\) that are generated by the automorphisms that send a generator \(x_i\) to the generator times a commutator of the form \([x_i,a_1,\ldots,a_n]\). Then \(\mathcal A_n\) can be identified with \(H_1(F,\mathbb Q)^{\otimes n}\). The author proves that \(\mathcal L_n\otimes\mathbb Q\) contains that kernel of the projection map of \(\mathcal M_n\otimes\mathbb Q\) to \(\mathcal A_n\) and he describes the image of \(\mathcal L_n\otimes\mathbb Q\) into \(\mathcal A_n\). For the proof, let \(\mathcal R_n^+\) be the elements that are cylindrically balanced under the action of the cyclic group of order \(n\) on \(\mathcal R\), i.e. \(\mathcal R_n^+=\mathcal R_n(1-\gamma)\), where \(\gamma\) is the generator of \(\mathbb Z/n\). Then the closure of the image of \(\mathcal L_n\) into \(\mathcal M_n\) consists of those partial derivatives that belong to \(\mathcal R_n^+\). The result follows from analyzing the operations on elements of \(\mathcal L_n\) using partial derivatives. One of the main tools used is that a self map of \(F\) is automorphism if and only if its Jacobian is invertible. In his fourth main result, the author describes the decomposition of \(\mathcal L_n\otimes\mathbb Q\) as a \(\mathrm{GL}_r(\mathbb Q)\)-module, using tableaux. At the end of the paper, explicit calculations are given for certain cases.