Detecting large groups. (Q619020)

The author proves several theorems which detect whether a finitely presented group is large or \(p\)-large, for some prime \(p\). Recall that a finitely presented group \(G\) is large (respectively, \(p\)-large) if it has a normal subgroup of finite index (respectively, \(p\)-power index) which admits a non-Abelian free quotient. The first theorem says that given finitely presented (discrete) groups \(G\) and \(K\) with isomorphic profinite completions, then \(G\) is large if and only if \(K\) is large. A similar result, assuming \(G\) and \(K\) have isomorphic pro-\(p\) completions for some prime \(p\), and concluding \(G\) is \(p\)-large if and only if \(K\) is \(p\)-large also holds. The author applies this second result to low dimensional topology by showing that if two closed 3-manifolds \(M_1\) and \(M_2\) are topologically \(\mathbb Z_p\)-cobordant, for some prime \(p\), then \(\pi_1(M_1)\) is \(p\)-large if and only if \(\pi_1(M_2)\) is \(p\)-large. A group is weakly parafree if there is a non-trivial free group with the `same' lower central series, in that there exist compatible isomorphisms \(F/\gamma_i(F)\to G/\gamma_i(G)\) for each positive integer \(i\). The author proves that if \(G\) is a finitely presented weakly parafree group with first Betti number greater than 1 then \(G\) is large. He then goes on to link \(L_2\)-Betti numbers with largeness by showing that for \(G\) a finitely presented (discrete) group that is virtually residually \(p\)-finite for some prime \(p\), with first \(L_2\)-Betti number greater than \(0\), then \(G\) is large. This result yields new examples of large groups. The next result says that if the derived \(p\)-series of a finitely presented group has linear growth of mod \(p\) homology then \(G\) is \(p\)-large. A corollary says that this result also holds if the lower central \(p\)-series of \(G\), instead of the derived \(p\)-series, is considered. However, the majority of the paper is taken up with proving the two final theorems. A group \(G\) has an Abelian \(p\)-series of rapid descent if it has a sequence of finite index subgroups \(G=G_1\triangleright G_2\triangleright G_3\triangleright\cdots\) such that each quotient \(G_i/G_{i+1}\) is an elementary Abelian \(p\)-group and the series descends `as fast as possible'. Technically the Abelian \(p\)-series \(\{G_i\}\) has rapid descent if \(\inf_i\tfrac{d_p(G_i/G_{i+1})}{[G:G_i]}>0\), where \(d_p(G)\) is the dimension of the homology group \(H_1(G;\mathbb F_p)\). The author proves that for \(G\) a finitely presented group and \(p\) a prime, then \(G\) is large if and only if \(G\) has a finite index subgroup with an Abelian \(p\)-series with rapid descent. Finally, \(G\) is \(p\)-large if and only if it has an Abelian \(p\)-series with rapid descent. This is a nicely written paper which proves many though provoking links between different concepts.