Residual properties of graph manifold groups (Q549140)

In this paper a group \(G\) is called a \(p\)-group (\(p\) is prime) if it is finite of order a power of \(p\) and called residually \(p\) if for any non-trivial \(g\in G\), there exists a morphism \(\alpha: G\rightarrow P\) to a \(p\)-group \(P\) such that \(\alpha(g)\) is non-trivial. \(G\) is also called virtually residually \(p\), if there exists a finite-index subgroup of \(G\) which is residually \(p\). The following theorem was proved by \textit{B. Perron} and \textit{P. Shalen} in [Topology Appl. 99, No.~1, 1--39 (1999; Zbl 0935.57023)] under the assumption that all graph manifold groups have a finite-index subgroup which is residually \(p\) for every \(p\): Theorem 1.4: Let \(M\) and \(N\) be closed irreducible orientible graph manifolds with infinite fundamental groups. Then every covering homology equivalence \(M\rightarrow N\) is homotopic to a homemorphism. In this paper the authors show how to modify the original proof of Theorem 1.4 to accommodate to the weaker information using virtual properties of the fundamental group of a graph manifold. They conclude the paper with the proof of the following theorem. Theorem 1.6: Let \(M\) and \(N\) be closed and irreducible 3-manifolds with infinite fundamental groups. Assume that the fundamental group \(\pi_1(M)\) is residually finite solvable. Then every covering homology equivalence \(M\rightarrow N\) is homotopic to a homeomorphism.