A generalization of weak commutativity between two isomorphic groups (Q2360392)

Let \(H\) and \(K\) be groups and let \(\mathcal R\) be a subset of the free product \(H\ast K\). Then, \(\langle H, K \mid \mathcal R\rangle\) denotes the quotient group of \(H \ast K\) by the normal closure of \(\langle \rho \mid \rho \in \mathcal R\rangle\) in \(H \ast K\). If \(\psi: \; H \rightarrow K\) is an isomorphism between the groups \(H\) and \(K\) it is convenient to replace the symbol \(K\) by \(H^{\psi}\). In the seminal paper of the second author [J. Algebra 63, 186--225 (1980; Zbl 0442.20014)], the operator \(\mathscr{X}\) of weak commutativity was defined by \[ \mathscr{X}(H)=\big \langle H, H^{\psi} \mid [h,h^{\psi}]=1 \;\;\; \forall h \in H \big \rangle \] and it was proved that \(\mathscr{X}(H)\) preserves many group properties of \(H\) (if \(H\) is finite, solvable or perfect, then also \(\mathscr{X}(H)\) has the same properties). This article introduces the operator \[ \mathscr{E}(H)= \big \langle H, H^{\psi} \mid [[h_{1},h_{2}^{\psi}],h_{3}^{-1}h_{3}^{\psi}]=1 \;\;\; \forall h_{1},h_{2},h_{3} \in H \big \rangle. \] The group \( \mathscr{E}(H)\) maps onto \(\mathscr{X}(H)\) and onto \(H \otimes H\), the non-abelian tensor square of \(H\). It is proved that the operator \(\mathscr{E}\) preserves solvability (if \(H\) is solvable of derived length \(k\), then \( \mathscr{E}(H)\) is solvable of derived length at most \(k+2\)) and preserves polycyclicity if and only if \(H/H'\) is finite. Moroever, if \(H\) is perfect, then \(\mathscr{E}(H)\) is perfect and \(\mathscr{E}(H) \simeq \mathscr{X}(H)\).