No label defined (Q3972210)

[For the entire collection see Zbl 0703.00011.] Let \(C\) be a subgroup of a group \(A\). \(A\) decomposes with respect to \(C\) if either (1) \(A=\{H_ 1,t;\;t^{-1}C_ 1t=\varphi(C_ 1)\}\) is an HNN extension with \(C_ 1\neq 1\) and \(C_ 1\subset C\), or (2) \(A=H_ 1*H_ 2\) is a free product with amalgamation, \(H_ 1\neq C_ 1\neq H_ 2\), \(C_ 1\subset C\). \(A\) is indecomposable with respect to \(C\) if \(A\) does not decompose with respect to \(C\). A subgroup \(C\) of a group \(G\) is said to be nonascending in \(G\) if \(g^{-1}Cg\subset C\) implies \(g^{- 1}Cg=C\). The author proves the following uniqueness theorem. Let \(G=A*_ CB\) with \(A\neq C\neq B\), \(C\neq 1\), \(A\), \(B\) are finitely generated and \(A\), \(B\) are indecomposable with respect to \(C\). Let also \(G=A_ 1*_{C_ 1}B_ 1\) with \(A_ 1\neq C_ 1\neq B_ 1\), \(C_ 1\) is a subgroup of a conjugate of \(C\) and \(C_ 1\) is nonascending in \(G\). Then there is \(g\in G\) such that \(A_ 1=gAg^{-1}\), \(C_ 1=gCg^{-1}\), \(B_ 1=gBg^{-1}\) or \(A_ 1=gBg^{-1}\), \(C_ 1=gCg^{-1}\), \(B_ 1=gAg^{-1}\). As an application the author proves a splitting theorem for a 3-manifold along a properly embedded annulus.