A characterisation of large finitely presented groups. (Q556975)

A finitely presented group is called `large', if it has a finite index subgroup which admits a surjective homomorphism onto a non-Abelian free group. Theorem 1.1. A finitely presented group is large if and only if there exists a sequence \(G_1\geq G_2\geq\cdots\) of finite index subgroups of \(G\), each normal in \(G_1\), such that (i) \(G_i/G_{i+1}\) is Abelian for all \(i\geq 1\); (ii) \(\lim_{i\to\infty}((\log[G_i:G_{i+1}])/[G:G_i])=\infty\); (iii) \(\limsup_i(d(G_i/G_{i+1})/[G:G_i])>0\). Here \(d(\;)\) denotes the rank of the group, which is its minimal number of generators. Theorem 1.1 implies known results of Baumslag and Pride and of Gromov and Stöhr. It is also shown, that the conditions (i) and (ii) of Theorem 1.1 are equivalent to the existence of a finite index subgroup with infinite Abelianisation.