On the automorphism group of generalized Baumslag-Solitar groups. (Q873947)

A generalized Baumslag-Solitar group (GBS-group) \(G\) is the fundamental group of a finite graph of groups \(\Gamma\) with vertex and edge groups infinite cyclic. To each edge \(e\) of \(\Gamma\) with origin \(o(e)=v\) it is attached a non-zero integer (`a label') \(\lambda_e\) which defines the inclusion of the edge group \(G_e\) into the vertex group \(G_{o(e)}\). So the graph \(\Gamma\) is a `labelled graph'. The author studies the labelled graph \(\Gamma\) of a GBS-group \(G\) and the associated Bass-Serre tree (the GBS-tree) \(T\) on which \(G\) acts and obtains characterizations for \(G\) and for \(\text{Out}(G)\). In general, if \(G\) is a finitely generated group, the group \(\text{Out}(G)\) acts on the set of \(G\)-trees. For a \(G\)-tree \(T\) its stabilizer is denoted by \(\text{Out}^T(G)\leq\text{Out}(G)\). Let \(\Gamma\) be a graph of groups, if \(e\) is an oriented edge with origin \(o(e)=v\), let \(G_e,G_v\) be the corresponding edge and vertex groups. For \(z\in Z_{G_v}(G_e)\) (the centralizer of \(G_e\) in \(G_v\)) the `twist' \(D(z)\in\text{Out}(G)\) is defined as follows. If \(G\) is expressed as an amalgam \(G=G_1*_{G_e}G_2\) (\(e\) is a separating edge), \(D(z)\) is defined as the identity on \(G_1\) and as conjugation by \(z\) on \(G_2\). If \(G\) is expressed as an HNN-extension (\(e\) is not a separating edge), \(D(z)\) is defined as the identity on the base group and maps the stable letter \(t\) to \(zt\). The group of twists \(\mathcal T(\Gamma)\) is the subgroup of \(\text{Out}(G)\) generated by all twists. A presentation of \(\mathcal T(\Gamma)\) as a finitely generated group is given. A GBS-group \(G\) is `algebraically rigid' if there is only one (up to equivariant isomorphism) reduced GBS-tree \(T\) on which \(G\) acts. In this case it is proved that \(\text{Out}^T(G)=\text{Out}(G)\), so by a previous result of the author \(\mathcal T(\Gamma)\) is of finite index in \(\text{Out}(G)\). Therefore \(\text{Out}(G)\) is virtually free Abelian. In the general case for a GBS-group \(G\) it is proved that: Either \(\text{Out}(G)\) contains a nonabelian free group, or it is virtually nilpotent of class at most two. Moreover, in the case where \(\text{Out}(G)\) does not contain \(F_2\), it is proved that the isomorphism problem is solvable for the group \(G\). A GBS-group \(G\) is `unimodular', if a relation \(xy^px^{-1}=y^q\) (\(y\neq 1\)) implies \(|p|=|q|\), and it is `non-elementary' if it is not \(\mathbb{Z}\), \(\mathbb{Z}^2\) nor the Klein bottle group. Proposition 2.6. Let \(G\) be a non-elementary GBS-group. The following are equivalent: (1) \(G\) is unimodular. (2) \(G\) contains a normal infinite cyclic subgroup \(Z\). (3) \(G\) has a finite index subgroup isomorphic to \(F_n\times\mathbb{Z}\) for some \(n\geq 1\). The quotient of \(G\) by any normal infinite cyclic subgroup \(Z\) is virtually free. Theorem 4.4. If \(G\) is non-elementary and unimodular, there is a split exact sequence \[ \{1\}\to\mathbb{Z}^k\to\text{Out}_0(G)\to\text{Out}_0(H)\to\{1\} \] where \(H\) is virtually free and \(\text{Out}_0\) has finite index in Out and \(k\) is related to the first Betti number of any labelled graph representing \(G\).