Explicit resolutions for the binary polyhedral groups and for other central extensions of the triangle groups (Q794774)

The purpose of this paper is to derive by algebraic calculations explicit free resolutions for two classes of finitely presented groups. (a) Let l, m, n be integers with mi\(n(| l|,| m|,| n|)\geq 2\), and let \(G=G(l,m,n)=<a,b;\quad a^ l=b^ m=(ab)^ n>.\) Thus G is a central extension of the triangle group \(<a,b;\quad a^ l=b^ m=(ab)^ n=1>.\) It is shown that if G is finite, there is a periodic G-free resolution of Z with period 4. Specifically, in the exact sequence \(ZG\to ZG^ 2\to ZG^ 2\to ZG\to Z\to 0,\) where the homomorphism \(ZG^ 2\to ZG^ 2\) is a ''Jacobian'' map corresponding to a suitable two-relator presentation of G, the kernel of the left-most homomorphism is infinite cyclic, so that the sequence yields a periodic resolution. On the other hand, if G is infinite, the left-most homomorphism in the above sequence is injective, hence the sequence is a free resolution of length 3. (b) The second class of groups consists of those which admit a presentation of the form \(L=<a_ 1,...,a_ n;\quad [r^ l,a_ 1],...,[r^ l,a_ n]>.\) Thus L is a central extension of the one- relator group \(<a_ 1,...,a_ n;\quad r^ l>.\) It is understood that r is non-trivial and not a proper power in the free group on \(\{a_ 1,...,a_ n\}.\) In this case it is shown that the sequence \(ZL\to ZL^ n\to ZL^ n\to ZL\to Z\to 0,\) where the homomorphism \(ZL^ n\to ZL^ n\) is a Jacobian map corresponding to the above presentation, is an L- free resolution of Z. The author determines which groups in these two classes are Poincaré- duality groups [see \textit{K. S. Brown}, Cohomology of groups (1982)] and indicates how results of the above kind can be obtained topologically by representing the groups as fundamental groups of Seifert fiber spaces.