An infinite-dimensional torsion-free \(\text{FP}_{\infty}\) group (Q761661)

In this paper the authors settle problem F11 of \textit{C. T. C. Wall}'s list of problems [Lond. Math. Soc. Lect. Note Ser. 36, 369--394 (1979; Zbl 0426.20039)]. They show that a certain group \(F\), which was previously known to be finitely presented and torsion-free and to have a free abelian subgroup of infinite rank, is of type \(\text{FP}_{\infty}\). The group \(F\) is defined by the presentation \[ \langle x_ 0,x_ 1,x_ 2,...\mid \quad x_ i^{-1}x_ nx_ i=x_{n+1},\text{ for } i<n \rangle. \] This group had appeared previously in homotopy theory in connection with the work of Freyd-Heller and Dydak on homotopy idempotents. The proof that \(F\) is of the type \(\text{FP}_{\infty}\) is motivated by this connection with homotopy theory. As a corollary of the proof the authors obtain a new proof of the Hastings-Heller theorem [cf. \textit{H. M. Hastings} and \textit{A. Heller}, Proc. Am. Math. Soc. 85, 619--622 (1982; Zbl 0513.55011)] that homotopy idempotents on finite-dimensional complexes split. They also obtain homology and cohomology calculations of \(F\), including the result that \(H^*(F,{\mathbb Z}F)=0\).