On the congruence subgroup problem for branch groups (Q503224)

Branch groups are an important family of groups which admit a certain type of action on a rooted tree; see for example [\textit{R. I. Grigorchuk}, Prog. Math. 184, 121--179 (2000; Zbl 0982.20024)]. Any branch group \(G\) is residually finite, so one can consider the profinite completion, denoted by \(\widehat G\). On the other hand, branch groups admit two additional completions into profinite groups arising from the action on a rooted tree: the congruence completion, denoted by \(\bar G\), and the branch completion, denoted by \(\widehat G\). These three completions are related by continuous epimorphisms \(\widehat G\to \widetilde G\to\bar G\). However, these completions need not agree, so the epimorphisms can fail to be injective. The kernel of the first map is called the branch kernel, and that of the second map is called the rigid kernel. While the profinite completion depends only on the group in question, the congruence completion and the branch completion a priori depend on the choice of the branch action. \textit{L. Bartholdi} et al. thus ask the following question in [Isr. J. Math. 187, 419--450 (2012; Zbl 1271.20031)]: Does the branch kernel or the congruence kernel depend on the choice of branch action? The article under review gives a complete and elegant answer to this question. Theorem. Let \(G\) be a branch group with two branch actions on rooted trees. Then, the congruence kernels with respect to these actions agree, and the branch kernels with respect to these actions agree. To prove the theorem, the author analyzes branch groups via their structure lattices, which were first introduced by \textit{J. S. Wilson} [Proc. Camb. Philos. Soc. 69, 373--391 (1971; Zbl 0216.08803)]. She shows that the branch kernel and the congruence kernel of a given branch action can be identified via the structure lattice and thereby deduces the theorem.