The congruence subgroup property for \(\Aut F_2\): a group-theoretic proof of Asada's theorem. (Q664236)

Let \(G\) be a finitely generated group and \(\Gamma=\Aut(G)\) its automorphism group. For a normal subgroup \(K\) of \(G\) of finite index let \(\Gamma[K]=\{\sigma\in\Gamma\mid\sigma(K)=K\) and \(\sigma\) acts trivially on \(G/K \}\). \(\Gamma[K]\) is a finite index subgroup of \(\Gamma\). The question arising is: For every finite index subgroup of \(\Gamma\), say \(H\), is there a normal subgroup \(K\) of \(G\) of finite index such that \(H\geq\Gamma[K]\)? This is a natural generalization of the classical congruence subgroup problem for \(G=\mathbb Z^n\), \(\Gamma=\text{GL}_n(\mathbb Z)\), \(K=k\mathbb Z^n\) and \(\Gamma[K]=\text{GL}_n(\mathbb Z,k)\), the congruence subgroup modulo \(k\). Let \(\tau_{pf}\) be the profinite topology on \(\Gamma\) and \(\tau_c\) the topology on \(\Gamma\) which admits the family of subgroups \(\Gamma[K]\) for all finite index subgroups \(K\) of \(G\) as a basis of neighborhoods of the identity. A reformulation of the question above amounts to the question if these topologies are actually identical. Which turns in the equivalent question if the natural map \(\widehat{\Aut(G)}\to\Aut(\widehat G)\) is injective. (Here, for a group \(M\), \(\widehat M\) denotes the profinite completion of \(M\).) In [J. Pure Appl. Algebra 159, No. 2-3, 123-147 (2001; Zbl 1045.14013)], \textit{M. Asada}, using techniques from anabelian geometry, gave an affirmative answer to the above question in the case of \(\Gamma=\Aut(F_2)\), the automorphism group of the free group of rank 2. In the present paper the authors give a short purely group-theoretic proof of Asada's result. A first reduction is obtained (Lemma 3.1 in the paper). If the map \(\widehat{\text{Out}(G)}\to\text{Out}(\widehat G)\) is injective, then the map \(\widehat{\Aut(G)}\to\Aut(\widehat G)\) is injective. Let \(\Phi\) be the free group on the generators \(a\) and \(b\) and \(F_2\) the free group on the generators \(x\) and \(y\). Consider the automorphisms of \(F_2\) defined by \(\alpha\): \((x\to x;\;y\to yx^2)\), \(\beta\): \((x\to xy^2;\;y\to y)\). Let \(\Phi\to\Aut(F_2)\) be the homomorphism defined by \(a\to\alpha\) and \(b\to\beta\). This homomorphism can be extended to a continuous homomorphism \(\nu\colon\widehat\Phi\to\Aut(\widehat{F_2})\). The authors are focused to prove that \(\nu\) is injective (Paragraph 4) and then they derive that the map \(\widehat{\Aut(F_2)}\to\Aut(\widehat{F_2})\) is injective. As it is pointed out, although the idea of method could potentially be applied to other automorphism groups, the congruence subgroup problem for the group \(\Aut(F_n)\), \(n\geq 3\), itself remains open. The paper concludes (paragraph 5) with another approach of the result above, where are used only finite quotients of free groups rather than free profinite groups.