The minimum \(b_2\) problem for right-angled Artin groups (Q2351932)

The author investigates the problem of constructing \(4\)-manifolds which have fundamental group isomorphic to a given right-angled Artin group (RAAG) and also minimize \(b_2(M)=\dim H_2(M;\mathbb Q)\). For a finitely presented group \(G\) define \[ h(G):=\min\{b_2(M)\mid M\text{ a closed, oriented \(4\)-manifold with }\pi_1(M)\cong G\}. \] The author shows that for every finitely generated group \(G\) there is a lower bound \[ 2b_2(G)-m_2(G)\leq h(G), \] where \(m_2(G)\) is the maximum rank of the symmetric form \[ H^2(G;\mathbb{Z}/2)\times H^2(G;\mathbb{Z}/2)\to \mathbb{Z}/2,\quad (a,b)\mapsto (a\cup b)\cap \alpha \] taken over all choices \(\alpha\in H_4(G;\mathbb{Z}/2)\). For RAAGs \(G\) the author conjectures that \(h(G)=2b_2(G)-m_2(G)\). If the defining graph of the RAAG \(G\) has no \(4\)-cliques, then \(m_2(G)=0\) and it is shown that the conjecture is true in this case, i.e. \(h(G)=2b_2(G)\). The author also proves the conjecture for several infinite families including classes with \(5\)-, \(6\)- and \(7\)-cliques.