Groups of \(\mathrm{F}\)-type (Q6601475)

A group \(G\) is of of \(\mathsf{F}\)-type, if it admits a presentation of the following form\N\[\NG = \big \langle a_{1}, \ldots a_{n} \; \big | \; a_{1}^{e_{1}}= \ldots =a_{n}^{e_{n}}=U(a_{1},\ldots , a_{p})V(a_{p+1},\ldots, a_{n}) \big \rangle\N\]\Nwhere \(n\geq 2\), \(e_{i}=0\) or \(e_{i} \geq 2\), for \(i=1, \ldots, n\), \(1 \leq p \leq n-1\), \(U(a_{1}, \ldots a_{p})\) is a cyclically reduced word in the free product on \(a_{1}, \ldots , a_{p}\) which is of infinite order and \(V(a_{p+1}, \ldots, a_{n})\) is a cyclically reduced word in the product on \(a_{p+1},\ldots , a_{n}\) which is of infinite order. if \(U=a_{1}^{\pm 1}\) then \(e_{1}\) must equal zero since \(U\) has infinite order. In this case, \(G\) reduces to \(G=\langle a_{2}, \ldots, a_{n} \mid a_{2}^{e_{2}}, \ldots, a_{n}^{e_{n}} \rangle\), which is a free product of cyclic groups. In all cases \(G\) decomposes as a non-trivial free product with amalgamation: \(G= G_{1} \ast_{\!A} G_{2}\) where \(G_{1}=\langle a_{1}, \ldots, a_{p} \mid a_{1}^{e_{1}}=\ldots=a_{p}^{e_{p}}\rangle\), \(G_{2}=\langle a_{p+1}, \ldots, a_{n} \mid a_{p+1}^{e_{p+1}}=\ldots=a_{n}^{e_{n}}\rangle\) and \(A=\langle U \rangle=\langle V \rangle\).\N\NGroups of \(\mathsf{F}\)-type includes some known and important classes like Fuchsian groups of geometric rank \(\geq 3\), surface groups of genus \(\geq 2\), cyclically pinched one-relator groups and torus-knot groups.\N\NIn \S 2 (Essential representations and algebraic consequences) the authors prove the following results.\N\NTheorem 2.3: Let \(G\) be a group of \(\mathsf{F}\)-type. Then \(G\) has a representation \(\rho: G \rightarrow \mathrm{PSL}_{2}(2,\mathbb{C})\) such that \(\rho |_{G_{1}}\) and \(\rho |_{G_{2}}\) are faithful. Further, if neither \(U\) nor \(V\) is a proper power then \(G\) has a faithful representation in \(\mathrm{PSL}_{2}(2,\mathbb{C})\).\N\NIn particular \(G\) admits an essentially faithful representation into \(\mathrm{PSL}_{2}(2,\mathbb{C})\).\N\NTheorem 2.8: Let \(G\) be a group of \(\mathsf{F}\)-type. If \(G\) is not solvable then \(G\) is large. In particular, a group of \(F\)-type is either \(SQ\)-universal or solvable. (A large group is a group with a finite index subgroup that maps onto the free group \(F_{2}\) of rank 2.)\N\NTheorem 2.9: Let \(G\) be a group of \(\mathsf{F}\)-type. Then \(G\) has a rational Euler characteristic \(\chi(G)\) given by \(\chi(G)=2+\sum_{i=1}^{n} \alpha_{i}\) where \(\alpha_{i}=-1\) if \(e_{i}=0\) and \(\alpha_{i}=1+\frac{1}{e_{i}}\) if \(e_{i} \geq 2\). If \(|G : H| < \infty\) then \(\chi(H)\) is defined and \(\chi(H)=|G: H|\cdot \chi(G)\). In addition, \(G\) is of finite homological type \(WFL\), that is, \(G\) is virtually torsion-free and for every torsion free subgroup of finite index \(\mathbb{Z}\) admits a finite free resolution over the group ring \(\mathbb{Z}G\), and \(G\) has virtual cohomological dimension \(\mathrm{vcd}(G) \leq 2\).\N\NIn \S 3, (Theorem 3.1) the authors prove a Freiheitssatz for groups of \(\mathsf{F}\)-type and they provide other useful information and remarks. In particular every group of \(\mathsf{F}\)-type is conjugacy separable and, hence, residually finite and Hopfian.\N\N\S 4 presents the results obtained by \textit{A. Juhász} and the second author in [Contemp. Math. 169, 373--384 (1994; Zbl 0819.20025)] and consider the combinatorial curvature of a class of one-relator products which generalize groups of \(\mathsf{F}\)-type (see Theorem 4.1).\N\NFinally, in \S 5, the authors give versions and extensions of some of the results obtained by \textit{F. Röhl}, the first and the second author in [Lond. Math. Soc. Lect. Note Ser. 204, 73--86 (1995; Zbl 0851.20015)].