Loop subgroups of \(F_r\) and the image of their stabilizer subgroups in \(\mathrm{GL}_r(\mathbb Z)\). (Q375801)

Consider the free group \(F_r\) of rank \(r>2\). A subgroup \(U\) is called an \textit{\(s_1/s_2/\ldots/s_r\)-loop subgroup} if there is a basis \(\{g_1,g_2,\ldots,g_r\}\) of \(F_r\) such that: (i) \(g_i\) acts on the left cosets of \(U\) as an \(s_i\)-cycle and has no other non-trivial cycles, (ii) each such non-trivial cycle includes the coset \(U\) and these are otherwise disjoint. The definition is invariant under the action of \(\Aut(F_r)\). The above \(s_1/s_2/\ldots/s_r\)-loop-subgroup \(U\) has as a basis \[ \{g_i^{s_i};\;i\leq r\}\cup\{g_i^{-k_i}g_jg_i^{k_i};\;1\leq i\neq j\leq r;\;k_i\leq s_i\}. \] Under the map \(\pi\) from \(F_r\) to the permutation group of the set of left cosets of \(U\), the image \(\pi(w)\) of any element \(w\in F_r\) and of the element \(\gamma(w)\) are conjugate if \(\gamma\in\mathrm{Stab}_{\Aut(F_r)}(U)\). The main result of this paper shows that the image of \(\mathrm{Stab}_{\Aut(F_r)}(U)\) in \(\mathrm{GL}_r(\mathbf Z)\) is a congruence subgroup of level \(2\). More precisely, the result is: Consider a loop subgroup \(U\) of \(F_r\) (\(r>2\)) with at the most \(r-2\) loops of length \(1\). Let \(B\) be the natural surjection from \(\Aut(F_r)\) to \(\mathrm{GL}_r(\mathbf Z)\). Then, \[ B(\mathrm{Stab}_{\Aut(F_r)}(U))=\{M\in\mathrm{GL}_r(\mathbf Z):vM\equiv v\pmod 2\} \] and the image in \(\mathrm{GL}_r(\mathbf Z/2\mathbf Z)\) is \(\{N\in\mathrm{GL}_r(\mathbf Z/2\mathbf Z):wN=w\}\) for the vector \(w=(w_1,\ldots,w_r)\) where \(w_i=0\) or \(1\) according as to whether \(s_i\) is odd or even. The loop subgroups studied here are generalizations of \(L\)-origamis studied earlier by G. Schmithüsen, P. Hubert \& S. Lelièvre.