Virtually free-by-cyclic groups (Q6614096)

A group \(G\) is coherent if its finitely generated subgroups are finitely presented. A result due to \textit{M. Feighn} and \textit{M. Handel} [Ann. Math. (2) 149, No. 3, 1061--1077 (1999; Zbl 0938.20022)], states that free-by-cyclic groups are coherent.\N\NThe main result in the paper under review is a characterization of virtually free-by-cyclic groups among all hyperbolic and virtually compact special groups in terms of rational cohomological dimension \(\mathrm{cd}_{\mathbb{Q}}\) and \(L_{2}\)-Betti numbers \(b^{(2)}_{n}\).\N\NTheorem 1.1: Let \(H\) be a hyperbolic and virtually compact special group. The following are equivalent: \begin{enumerate}\N\item \(\mathrm{cd}_{\mathbb{Q}}(H) \leq 2\) and \(b^{(2)}_{2}(H)=0\); \N\item \(H\) has a finite index subgroup that is a subgroup of a ``finitely generated free''-by-cyclic group; \N\item \(H\) is virtually free-by-cyclic. \end{enumerate}\N\N\textit{D. T. Wise} [The structure of groups with a quasiconvex hierarchy. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press (2021; Zbl 1511.20002)] proved that one-relator groups with torsion are virtually compact special. Combining this with the computation of the \(L^{2}\)-Betti numbers of one-relator groups due to \textit{W. Dicks} and \textit{P. A. Linnell} [Math. Ann. 337, No. 4, 855--874 (2007; Zbl 1190.20021)] and with Theorem 1.1, the authors prove the interesting Corollary 1.2: One-relator groups with torsion are virtually free-by-cyclic.\N\NTheorem 1.1 has many other consequences, among which the reviewer mentions the following. \N\NCorollary 1.4: One-relator groups with negative immersions are virtually free-bycyclic. \N\NCorollary 1.5: Small cancellation one-relator groups are virtually free-by-cyclic, consequently coherent. \N\NCorollary 1.7: Let \(G\) be a hyperbolic and virtually compact special group with \(\mathrm{cd}_{\mathbb{Q}}(G) \leq 2\). If the Gromov boundary \(\partial G\) has conformal dimension less than 2, then \(G\) is virtually free-by-cyclic. \N\NCorollary 1.8: Let \(G\) be a finitely generated ascending HNN-extension of a free group. If \(G\) is hyperbolic and virtually compact special, then \(G\) is virtually free-bycyclic.\N\NIn addition, the authors prove the following result, which is of independent interest. \N\NTheorem 1.11: Let \(n\) be a positive integer, let \(G\) be a non-elementary torsion-free hyperbolic group and let \(H_{1},\ldots,H_{k} \leq G\) be quasi-convex subgroups of infinite index. There exists a malnormal quasi-convex free subgroup \(H \leq G\) of rank \(n\) such that \(H_{i} \cap H^{g}=1\) for all \(i\) and all \(g \in G\). (See also Theorem 1.12, which is deduced from Theorem 1.11.)