Profinite genus of free products with finite amalgamation (Q6146410)

The genus \(g(G)\) of a residually finite group \(G\) is the number of isomorphism classes of finitely generated residually finite groups having the same set of finite quotients as \(G\). In recent years many authors have addressed the problem of determining whether \(g(G)\) is finite or \(1\). The main question was posed by Remeslennikov [\textit{V. D. Mazurov} (ed.) and \textit{E. I. Khukhro} (ed.). The Kourovka notebook. Unsolved problems in group theory. 18th edition. Novosibirsk: Institute of Mathematics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Siberian Div. (2014; Zbl 1372.20001), Problem 5.48]: Let \(F\) be a free group of finite rank, is \(g(F)=1\)? In this paper, an \(\mathsf{OE}\)-group is a finitely generated residually finite group \(G\) with less than \(2\) ends. It follows from a famous theorem by \textit{J. R. Stallings} [Group theory and three-dimensional manifolds. New Haven-London: Yale University Press (1971; Zbl 0241.57001)] that \(G\) is an \(\mathsf{OE}\)-group if and only if whenever it acts on a tree with finite edge stabilizers it has a global fixed point. A finitely generated residually finite group \(G\) is called by the authors an \(\widehat{\mathsf{OE}}\)-group if its finite completion \(\widehat{G}\) can not act on a profinite tree with finite edge stabilizers without a global fixed point. In the paper under review, the authors study the genus of free products \(G=G_{1} \ast_{H} G_{2}\) of two \(\widehat{\mathsf{OE}}\)-groups \(G_{1}\), \(G_{2}\) with finite amalgamation \(H\). In particular, they give precise formulas for \(g(G)\) and \(g(\widehat{G})\) and they list various situations in which such formulas simplifies.