On a double of a free group (Q677429)

In this short paper the author exhibits a free product \(G=F_1*_NF_2\) of two free groups \(F_1\) and \(F_2\) each of rank two, amalgamating a normal subgroup \(N\) of index 3 in each of them, which is not LERF (or subgroup separable), i.e. for any element and for any finitely generated subgroup not containing it there is a finite image of the group that separates them. This group is a double in the sense that there is an isomorphism of \(F_1\) and \(F_2\) which is the identity on \(N\). The author constructs a finitely generated subgroup \(H\) of \(G\) such that for \(g\in G\) there is no algorithmic procedure which decides whether or not \(g\in H\). Thus \(G\) has an unsolvable occurrence problem which implies that \(G\) is not LERF.