On eventually injective endomorphisms (Q6996150)

In this note, the author studies endomorphisms of finitely generated linear groups and introduces the notion of eventual injectivity: an endomorphism \(\varphi: G \to G\) is eventually injective if there exists \(n\) such that the restriction of \(\varphi\) to \(\varphi^n(G)\) is injective.\N\NThe main result establishes that every endomorphism of a finitely generated linear group is eventually injective, using the ascending chain condition for equalizer subgroups and algebraic properties of linear representations. Examples are provided showing eventual injectivity can fail for general finitely generated residually finite groups. The paper revisits and expands classical results, such as Mal'cev's theorem on Hopfian groups, and discusses open problems related to ascending HNN extensions and 3-manifold groups.\N\NThe paper concludes by proposing the following interesting question: let \(H\) be a finitely generated linear group, let \(\phi: H \to H\) be a monomorphism, and let \(G = H \ast_{\phi} = \langle H, t \mid t^{-1} h t = \phi(h) \rangle\) be the ascending HNN extension of \(H\) associated to \(\phi\). Is every endomorphism of \(G\) eventually injective? Is \(G\) linear? The author remarks by a result of \textit{A. Borisov} and \textit{M. Sapir} [Invent. Math. 160, No. 2, 341--356 (2005; Zbl 1083.14023)] that such a group \(G\) is necessarily residually finite.