Computability of finite quotients of finitely generated groups

We systematically study groups whose marked finite quotients form a recursive set. We give several definitions, and prove basic properties of this class of groups, and in particular emphasize the link between the growth of the depth function and solvability of the word problem. We give examples of infinitely presented groups whose finite quotients can be effectively enumerated. Finally, our main result is that a residually finite group can fail to be recursively presented and still have computable finite quotients, and that, on the other hand, it can have solvable word problem but not have computable finite quotients.

Generating infinite monoids of cellular automata

For a group [Formula: see text] and a set [Formula: see text], let [Formula: see text] be the monoid of all cellular automata over [Formula: see text], and let [Formula: see text] be its group of units. By establishing a characterization of surjunctive groups in terms of the monoid [Formula: see text], we prove that the rank of [Formula: see text] (i.e. the smallest cardinality of a generating set) is equal to the rank of [Formula: see text] plus the relative rank of [Formula: see text] in [Formula: see text], and that the latter is infinite when [Formula: see text] has an infinite decreasing chain of normal subgroups of finite index, condition which is satisfied, for example, for any infinite residually finite group. Moreover, when [Formula: see text] is a vector space over a field [Formula: see text], we study the monoid [Formula: see text] of all linear cellular automata over [Formula: see text] and its group of units [Formula: see text]. We show that if [Formula: see text] is an indicable group and [Formula: see text] is finite-dimensional, then [Formula: see text] is not finitely generated; however, for any finitely generated indicable group [Formula: see text], the group [Formula: see text] is finitely generated if and only if [Formula: see text] is finite.

Obstruction to a Higman embedding theorem for residually finite groups with solvable word problem

We prove that, for a finitely generated residually finite group, having solvable word problem is not a sufficient condition to be a subgroup of a finitely presented residually finite group. The obstruction is given by a residually finite group with solvable word problem for which there is no effective method that allows, given some non-identity element, to find a morphism onto a finite group in which this element has a non-trivial image. We also prove that the depth function of this group grows faster than any recursive function.

A NILPOTENCY CRITERION FOR SOME VERBAL SUBGROUPS

The word $w=[x_{i_{1}},x_{i_{2}},\ldots ,x_{i_{k}}]$ is a simple commutator word if $k\geq 2,i_{1}\neq i_{2}$ and $i_{j}\in \{1,\ldots ,m\}$ for some $m>1$. For a finite group $G$, we prove that if $i_{1}\neq i_{j}$ for every $j\neq 1$, then the verbal subgroup corresponding to $w$ is nilpotent if and only if $|ab|=|a||b|$ for any $w$-values $a,b\in G$ of coprime orders. We also extend the result to a residually finite group $G$, provided that the set of all $w$-values in $G$ is finite.

Engel groups with an identity

We give an affirmative answer to the question whether a residually finite Engel group satisfying an identity is locally nilpotent. More generally, for a residually finite group [Formula: see text] with an identity, we prove that the set of right Engel elements of [Formula: see text] is contained in the Hirsch–Plotkin radical of [Formula: see text]. Given an arbitrary word [Formula: see text], we also show that the class of all groups [Formula: see text] in which the [Formula: see text]-values are right [Formula: see text]-Engel and [Formula: see text] is locally nilpotent is a variety.

ON GROUPS ADMITTING A WORD WHOSE VALUES ARE ENGEL

Let m, n be positive integers, v a multilinear commutator word and w = vm. We prove that if G is a residually finite group in which all w-values are n-Engel, then the verbal subgroup w(G) is locally nilpotent. We also examine the question whether this is true in the case where G is locally graded rather than residually finite. We answer the question affirmatively in the case where m = 1. Moreover, we show that if u is a non-commutator word and G is a locally graded group in which all u-values are n-Engel, then the verbal subgroup u(G) is locally nilpotent.

ON VERBAL SUBGROUPS IN RESIDUALLY FINITE GROUPS

The following theorem is proved. Let m, k and n be positive integers. There exists a number η=η(m,k,n) depending only on m, k and n such that if G is any residually finite group satisfying the condition that the product of any η commutators of the form [xm,y1,…,yk ] is of order dividing n, then the verbal subgroup of G corresponding to the word w=[xm,y1,…,yk ] is locally finite.

APPROXIMATING THE FIRST L2-BETTI NUMBER OF RESIDUALLY FINITE GROUPS

We show that the first L2-betti number of a finitely generated residually finite group can be estimated from below by using ordinary first betti numbers of finite index normal subgroups. As an application, we construct a finitely generated infinite residually finite torsion group with positive first L2-betti number.