On the operator homomorphisms of polysurface groups (Q5946458)

Let \(\Gamma_n\) be a polysurface group of length \(n\). The purpose of this paper is to find some properties of \(\Gamma_n\) independent of the choice of a filtration. For a given filtration \(\Im =\{\Gamma_r\}_{0\leq r\leq n}\) of a polysurface group \(\Gamma=\Gamma_n\), the authors consider the following elements: \(S_{(r)}=\Gamma_r/\Gamma_{r-1}\) and the homomorphisms \(\theta_r\colon S_{(r)}\to\text{Out}(\Gamma_{r-1})\) obtained from the extensions of \(\Gamma_r\) by \(\Gamma_{r-1}\). Every homomorphism is of one of the following types: type I (\(\theta_r\) is not injective and has infinite image), type II (\(\theta_r\) has finite range) and type III (\(\theta_r\) is injective). They define \(t_T(\Im)\) to be the cardinal of the set \(\{i\mid\theta_i\) is of type \(T\}\) where \(T=\) I, II or III. The first main result of this paper proves that \(t_{\text{III}}(\Im)\) is independent of the choice of the filtration; the second one shows that if \(t_{\text{III}}(\Im)=0\), then \(t_{\text{I}}(\Im)\) and \(t_{\text{II}}(\Im)\) are independent of the choice of the filtration. The third main result proves that if \(\Gamma\) is a lattice polysurface group then \(t_{\text{I}}(\Im)=0\) and \(t_{\text{II}}(\Im)\), \(t_{\text{III}}(\Im)\) are invariants of the group \(\Gamma\).