Dimension invariants of outer automorphism groups

Let $G$ be an infinite discrete group. A classifying space for proper actions\nof $G$ is a proper $G$-CW-complex $X$ such that the fixed point sets $X^H$ are\ncontractible for all finite subgroups $H$ of $G$. In this paper we consider the\nstable analogue of the classifying space for proper actions in the category of\nproper $G$-spectra and study its finiteness properties. We investigate when $G$\nadmits a stable classifying space for proper actions that is finite or of\nfinite type and relate these conditions to the compactness of the sphere\nspectrum in the homotopy category of proper $G$-spectra and to classical\nfiniteness properties of the Weyl groups of finite subgroups of $G$. Finally,\nif the group $G$ is virtually torsion-free we also show that the smallest\npossible dimension of a stable classifying space for proper actions coincides\nwith the virtual cohomological dimension of $G$, thus providing the first\ngeometric interpretation of the virtual cohomological dimension of a group.\n

Certain algebraic invariants of the integral group ring ZG of a group G were introduced and investigated in relation to the problem of extending the Farrell-Tate cohomology, which is defined for the class of groups of finite virtual cohomological dimension. It turns out that the finiteness of these invariants of a group G implies the existence of a generalized Farrell-Tate cohomology for G which is computed via complete resolutions. In this article we present these algebraic invariants and their basic properties and discuss their relationship to the generalized Farrell-Tate cohomology. In addition we present the status of conjecture which claims that the finiteness of these invariants of a group G is equivalent to the existence of a finite dimensional model for EG, the classifying space for proper actions.

Let Mo,, denote the moduli space of Riemann spheres with n ordered marked points. In this article we define the group Out# of quasispecial symmetric outer automorphisms of the algebraic fundamental group 1r1(Mo,n) for all n > 4 to be the group of outer automorphisms respecting the conjugacy classes of the inertia subgroups of Irl(M4,n) and commuting with the group of outer automorphisms of rl (MO,n) obtained by permuting the marked points. Our main result states that Outd is isomorphic to the Grothendieck-Teichmiiller group GT for all n > 5.

The canonical modular homomorphism provides an embedding of R \mathbb {R} into the outer automorphism group O u t ( M ) Out(M) of any type I I I 1 \mathrm {III}_{1} factor M M . We provide an explicit construction of a full factor of type I I I 1 \mathrm {III}_{1} with separable predual such that the outer automorphism group is minimal, i.e. this embedding is an isomorphism and a homeomorphism. We obtain such a I I I 1 \mathrm {III}_{1} factor by using an amalgamated free product construction.

If K G Q is a group extension, then any automorphism of G which sends K into itself, induces automorphisms respectively on K and on Q. This subgroup of automorphisms of G is denoted by Aut(G; K) and is called the automorphism group of the extension K G Q. After establishing an interesting group action of Aut(K) Aut(Q) on the set H 2 (Q; K) of all 2cohomology classes of Q with coecien ts in K, a full description of Aut(G; K) and Out(G; K) = Aut(G; K)= Inn(G) is obtained in terms of various commutative diagrams. This picture is as general as possible, hence covering and further complementing similar ideas developed earlier by C. Wells ([5]), P. Conner & F. Raymond ([1]), D.J.S. Robinson ([3], [4]) and the author ([2]). 1 Notations and preliminaries If G is a group and x 2 G, then (x) is the inner automorphism determined by x (sending y 2 G to xyx 1 ), (G) is known as the inner automorphism group Inn(G) and Out(G) = Aut(G)= Inn(G) is called the outer automorphism group of G. Write p : Aut(G) Out(G) for the natural projection. For a subset X in G, CGX denotes the centralizer and NGX is the normalizer of X in G. Let Z(G) be the center of G. In the sequel of this paper, aspects of group cohomology (with non-abelian coecien ts) will be intensively used. Therefore, we review some basic facts of this theory and meanwhile x additional notations and terminology.

Let Fr denote the free group of rank r and Out Fr: = AutFr/Inn Fr the outer automorphism group of Fr (automorphisms modulo inner automorphisms). In [10] we determined the maximal order 2rr! (for r > 2) for finite subgroups of Out Fr as well as the finite subgroup of that order which, for r > 3, is unique up to conjugation. In the present paper we determine all maximal finite subgroups (that is not contained in a larger finite subgroup) of Out F3, up to conjugation (Theorem 2 in Section 3). Here the considered case r = 3 serves as a model case: our method can be applied for other small values of r (in principle for any value of r) but the computations become considerably longer and are more apt for a computer then; the method can also be applied to determine the maximal finite subgroups of the automorphism group Aut Fr of Fr. Note that the canonical projection Aut Fr ⃗ Out Fr is injective on finite subgroups of Aut Fr; however, not all finite subgroups of Out Fr lift to finite subgroups of Aut Fr.

Our main result provides necessary and sufficient conditions for a finitelygenerated subgroup of GLn(C), n > 0, to have finite virtual cohomological dimension. A group has finite virtual cohomological dimension (VCD) if it has a subgroup of finite index which has finite cohomological dimension; this dimension is, in fact, the same for all torsion-free subgroups of finite index. It is, of course, necessary for a group r with VCD(T) Q), is independent of the choice of solvable series; thus, for a polycyclic group r, h(T) is the number of infinite factors in a normal series with cyclic quotients. We announce our main result.

Our main result provides necessary and sufficient conditions for a finitelygenerated subgroup of GLn(C), n > 0, to have finite virtual cohomological dimension. A group has finite virtual cohomological dimension (VCD) if it has a subgroup of finite index which has finite cohomological dimension; this dimension is, in fact, the same for all torsion-free subgroups of finite index. It is, of course, necessary for a group r with VCD(T) Q), is independent of the choice of solvable series; thus, for a polycyclic group r, h(T) is the number of infinite factors in a normal series with cyclic quotients. We announce our main result.

We describe an algorithm to find the virtual cohomological dimension of the automorphism group of a right-angled Artin group. The algorithm works in the relative setting; in particular it also applies to untwisted automorphism groups and basis-conjugating automorphism groups. The main new tool is the construction of free abelian subgroups of certain Fouxe-Rabinovitch groups of rank equal to their virtual cohomological dimension, generalizing a result of Meucci in the setting of free groups.

Twisted first homology groups of the automorphism group of a free group

Verification of Dade's Conjecture for Janko GroupJ3

group of odd order has only inner automorphisms. The group of automorphisms of the holomorph of an arbitrary group was studied by Gol'fand [3] who found some cases in which the outer automorphism group has order one or two. In the present paper I determine explicitly the outer automorphism group 0 of the holomorph H of an arbitrary finite abelian group G. If G is the direct product of a group of odd order, a group of order two, and a cyclic group of order 2n where n> 2, then 0 is the direct product of a finite number of groups of order two and a non-abelian group 0* of order six or eight. If n =2 then 0 * is isomorphic to the symmetric group of order six, and if n >3 then 0* is the octic group. In all other cases 0 is either trivial or the direct product of a finite number of groups of order two. Let A be the group of all automorphisms of the finite abelian group G, let GB be the group of all automorphisms of H that map G onto itself, and let g be the group of all inner automorphisms of H. Then (B3/J can be identified with the first cohomology group H'(A, G). Thus H'(A, G) can be regarded as a subgroup of 0. Now G is an ilnvariant subgroup of H, and it is known [6] that H has at most four invariant subgroups isomorphic to G. It follows that H'(A, G) has index at most four in 0.

Hyperbolic rigidity of higher rank lattices

Let p , l be distinct prime numbers. A tripod-degree over p at l is defined to be an l -adic unit obtained by forming the image, by the l -adic cyclotomic character, of some continuous automorphism of the geometrically pro- l fundamental group of a split tripod over a finite field of characteristic p . The notion of a tripod-degree plays an important role in the study of the geometrically pro- l anabelian geometry of hyperbolic curves over finite fields, e.g., in the theory of cuspidalizations of the geometrically pro- l fundamental groups of hyperbolic curves over finite fields. In the present paper, we study the tripod-degrees. In particular, we prove that, under a certain condition, the group of tripod-degrees over p at l coincides with the closed subgroup of the group of l -adic units topologically generated by p . As an application of this result, we also conclude that, under a certain condition, the natural homomorphism from the group of automorphisms of the split tripod to the group of outer continuous automorphisms of the geometrically pro- l fundamental group of the split tripod that lie over the identity automorphism of the absolute Galois group of the basefield is surjective.

We construct free abelian subgroups of the group U(AΓ) of untwisted outer automorphisms of a right-angled Artin group, thus giving lower bounds on the virtual cohomological dimension. The group U(AΓ) was studied in [5] by constructing a contractible cube complex on which it acts properly and cocompactly, giving an upper bound for the virtual cohomological dimension. The ranks of our free abelian subgroups are equal to the dimensions of principal cubes in this complex. These are often of maximal dimension, so that the upper and lower bounds agree. In many cases when the principal cubes are not of maximal dimension we show there is an invariant contractible subcomplex of strictly lower dimension.