Cohomological and geometric invariants of simple complexes of groups

DOI10.2140/AGT.2024.24.1121arXiv2009.02161OpenAlexW3083748884MaRDI QIDQ6348407FDOQ6348407

Authors: Nansen Petrosyan, Tomasz Prytuła 

Publication date: 4 September 2020

Abstract: We investigate strictly developable simple complexes of groups with arbitrary local groups, or equivalently, group actions admitting a strict fundamental domain. We introduce a new method for computing the cohomology of such groups. We also generalise Bestvina's construction to obtain a polyhedral complex equivariantly homotopy equivalent to the standard development of the lowest possible dimension. As applications, for a group acting chamber transitively on a building of type $(W,S)$, we show that its Bredon cohomological dimension is equal to the virtual cohomological dimension of $W$ and give a realisation of the building of the lowest possible dimension. We introduce the notion of a reflection-like action, and use it to give a new family of counterexamples to the strong form of Brown's conjecture on the equality of virtual cohomological dimension and Bredon cohomological dimension for proper actions. We show that the fundamental group $G$ of a simple complex of groups acts on a tree with stabilisers generating a family of subgroups $mathcalF$ if and only if its Bredon cohomological dimension with respect to $mathcalF$ is at most one. This confirms a folklore conjecture under the assumption that a model for the classifying space $E_{mathcalF}G$ of $G$ for the family $mathcalF$ has a strict fundamental domain. In order to handle complexes of groups arising from arbitrary group actions, we define a number of combinatorial invariants such as the block poset, which may be of independent interest. We also derive a general formula for Bredon cohomological dimension for a group $G$ admitting a cocompact model for $E_{mathcalF}G$. As a consequence of both, we obtain a simple formula for proper cohomological dimension of $mathrmCAT(0)$ groups whose actions admit a strict fundamental domain.

Full work available at URL: https://doi.org/10.2140/agt.2024.24.1121

Recommendations

• Bestvina complex for group actions with a strict fundamental domain
• Dimension invariants for groups admitting a cocompact model for proper actions
• On dimensions of groups with cocompact classifying spaces for proper actions
• Bredon cohomological dimension for virtually abelian stabilisers for CAT(0) groups
• On subgroups of Coxeter groups

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Combinatorial aspects of simplicial complexes (05E45) Groups acting on trees (20E08) Geometric group theory (20F65) Topological methods in group theory (57M07) Group actions on combinatorial structures (05E18) Cohomology of groups (20J06)

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