Homomorphisms to 3-manifold groups (Q6972085)

In this paper, the authors prove results about the set of homomorphisms from a finitely generated group to the collection of all fundamental groups of compact \(3\)-manifolds. More specifically, they answer questions addressed by \textit{I. Agol} and \textit{Y. Liu} [J. Am. Math. Soc. 25, No. 1, 151--187 (2012; Zbl 1237.57002)]. Agol and Liu believed that some of the techniques shown in [loc. cit.] may have applications to questions about homomorphisms from groups to \(3\)-manifold groups. For example, they asked if there is there a description of all homomorphisms from \(G\) to all \(3\)-manifold groups for some finitely generated group \(G\). As an aspect of this question, we ask if \(G\) is finitely generated (but infinitely presented), is there a finitely presented group \(\hat{G}\) and an epimorphism \(e : \hat{G} \rightarrow G\) such that it induces a bijection \(e^* : \text{Hom}(G, \Gamma) \rightarrow \text{Hom}(\hat{G}, \Gamma)\), for every \(3\)-manifold group \(\Gamma = \pi_1(M)\)? It turns out that this is a true statement when \(M\) is hyperbolic. Let \(M^\pi\) denote the set of all isomorphism classes of fundamental groups of (connected, but possibly non-compact) \(3\)-manifolds (see [\textit{M. Aschenbrenner} et al., 3-manifold groups. Zürich: European Mathematical Society (EMS) (2015; Zbl 1326.57001)] for background information). In this paper, we will see up-graded results, for instance, a positive answer to a question of Agol and Liu [loc. cit.] stated as follows.\N\NTheorem. For any finitely generated group \(G\) there is a finitely presented group \(G_0\) and an epimorphism \(\alpha : G_0 \rightarrow G\) so that for every \(\Gamma \in \mathcal M^\pi\) the map \(\alpha^* : \text{Hom}(G, \Gamma) \rightarrow \text{Hom}(G_0, \Gamma)\) induced by precomposition with \(\alpha\) is a bijection.\N\NThe significance of this theorem is that it becomes a tool for studying maps between \(3\)-manifolds. The authors addresses, for example, how this theorem implies a positive solution to Problem 8 in [\textit{D. T. Wise}, J. Comb. Algebra 9, No. 1--2, 121--127 (2025; Zbl 1562.20026)]. The problem is whether every endomorphism of \(G\) is eventually injective when \(G\) is a finitely generated \(3\)-manifold group. In addition, we can check Question 3.1.(C2) in [\textit{A. W. Reid} et al., Acta Math. Sin., Engl. Ser. 18, No. 1, 157--172 (2002; Zbl 1026.57016)] regarding any infinite sequence of epimorphisms \(\pi_1(M_1) \twoheadrightarrow \pi_1(M_2) \twoheadrightarrow \cdots \twoheadrightarrow \pi_1(M_n) \twoheadrightarrow \cdots \). More specifically, they ask about the existence of isomorphisms within the sequence. The theorem answers a question of [loc. cit.] as follows.\N\NTheorem. Let \((M_i)_{i \geq 1}\) be a sequence of compact \(3\)-manifolds (possibly with boundary).\N\NEvery infinite sequence of epimorphisms \(\pi_1(M_1) \twoheadrightarrow \pi_1(M_2) \twoheadrightarrow \cdots \twoheadrightarrow \pi_1(M_n) \twoheadrightarrow \cdots\) contains an isomorphism.