All Questions
Tagged with at.algebraic-topology gr.group-theory
288 questions
7
votes
0
answers
333
views
Positive instances of the Eilenberg-Ganea conjecture with families
The original Eilenberg-Ganea conjecture, which remains unsettled, can be formulated as: any (discrete) group $G$ of cohomological dimension $\operatorname{cd}(G)=2$ has geometric dimension $\...
- 35.9k
6
votes
1
answer
218
views
Free linear group actions on spheres with "strong" angle preservation
Suppose $G$ is a finite group and that $\rho: G\rightarrow O(d)$ is a faithful orthogonal representation, with action on $\mathbb{R}^d$ denoted $\cdot$. Let's say that $\rho$ is "strongly" angle ...
- 157
12
votes
2
answers
583
views
Do there exist acyclic simple groups of arbitrarily large cardinality?
Recall that a group $G$ is acyclic if its group homology vanishes: $H_\ast(G; \mathbb Z) = 0$. Equivalently, $G$ is acyclic iff the space $BG$ is acyclic, i.e. $\tilde H_\ast(BG;\mathbb Z) = 0$.
In ...
- 63.9k
18
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Fundamental group of punctured simply connected subset of $\mathbb{R}^2$
(This question is originally from Math.SE where it was suggested that I ask the question here)
Let $S$ be a simply connected subset of $\mathbb{R}^2$ and let $x$ be an interior point of $S$, meaning ...
- 17.1k
17
votes
1
answer
998
views
Where should I search for computations of group cohomology rings of not-too-complicated finite groups?
A computation I'm trying to make uses as input the cohomology rings of not-too-complicated finite groups in low
degrees, and I'd like to determine where to search for preexisting computations.
...
- 3,784
3
votes
3
answers
6k
views
Homology of Surfaces with Holes
The classification theorem for surfaces says that the complete set of homeomorphism classes of surfaces is
{ $S_g : g \geq 0$ } $ \cup$ { $N_k : k \geq 1$ },
where $S_g$ is a sphere with $g$ ...
- 10.6k
22
votes
6
answers
2k
views
Is any interesting question about a group G decidable from a presentation of G?
We say that a group G is in the class Fq if there is a CW-complex which is a BG (that is, which has fundamental group G and contractible universal cover) and which has finite q-skeleton. Thus F0 ...
- 38.6k
15
votes
0
answers
716
views
Is this "Homology" useful to study?
In the usual singular homology of a topological space $X$, one consider the free abelian group generated by all continuous maps from the standard simplex $\Delta^{n}$ to $X$.
Now we can ...
- 356
4
votes
0
answers
96
views
When are extensions of algebraically good groups algebraically good?
Let $G$ be a discrete group. The pro-algebraic completion of $G$ is a pro-algebraic group $G^{\mathrm{alg}}$ together with a morphism $s:G\to G^{\mathrm{alg}}$ which is initial among all morphisms ...
- 1,635
8
votes
0
answers
285
views
Are the braid groups good in the sense of Toën?
In this question it is asked whether the mapping class groups are 'good' in relation to pro-finite completion. Helpfully, one of the answers gives a link to a proof that the braid groups are good ...
- 63.9k
17
votes
1
answer
1k
views
A finite 2-group containing the dihedral group of order 16?
The dihedral group $D_{16}$ of order 16 has a presentation $D_{16}= \langle a,t \ | \ a^2=t^8=atat=e\rangle$.
Question: Does there exist a finite 2-group $G$ containing $D_{16}$ as a subgroup, and ...
- 53.3k
15
votes
1
answer
629
views
Characteristic classes of symmetric group $S_4$
For the symmetric group $S_3$, it is classically known that \begin{equation} H^*(S_3;\mathbb{Z})\cong \mathbb{Z}[x,y]/(2x,6y,x^2-3y), \end{equation} where $|x|=2$ and $|y|=4$. Moreover, $x$ can be ...
CommunityBot
- 1
6
votes
1
answer
422
views
A finite p-group question: can this happen?
Let all groups here be finite $p$--groups.
Given $K<H$, let $r(K,H)$ be the smallest $r$ such that there exists a chain of subgroups $K=L_0 \lhd L_1 \lhd \cdots \lhd L_r = H$, such that each $L_i/...
- 2,709
4
votes
1
answer
1k
views
First homology group of the general linear group
The abelianization of the general linear group $GL(n,\mathbb{R})$, defined by $$GL(n,\mathbb{R})^{ab} := GL(n,\mathbb{R})/[GL(n,\mathbb{R}), GL(n,\mathbb{R})],$$ is isomorphic to $\mathbb{R}^{\times}$....
- 8,529
22
votes
1
answer
719
views
What is the cohomological dimension of the commutator subgroup of the pure braid group?
I'm interested in computing the cohomological dimension of the commutator subgroup $[P_n,P_n]$ of the pure braid group $P_n$. I wasn't able to find a reference in the literature.
Because $[P_n,P_n]$ ...
- 196
3
votes
2
answers
291
views
How many non-isomorphic extensions with kernel $S^1$ and quotient cyclic of order $p$?
I want to determine how many non-isomorphic extensions (as group they are non-isomorphic) are possible of the form $1 \to \mathbb{S}^1 \to G \to (\mathbb{Z}_p)^k \to 1$, where $G$ is a compact lie ...
- 63.9k
7
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Automorphism group of the special unitary group $SU(N)$
Let us consider the automorphism group of the special unitary group $G=SU(N)$.
We know there is an exact sequence:
$$
0 \to \text{Inn}(G) \to \text{Aut}(G) \to \text{Out}(G) \to 0.
$$
For $G=SU(2)...
- 8,529
1
vote
1
answer
312
views
Topological Invariants for Group
Let $\mathbf{Grp}$ be the category of groups and $\mathbf{Top}$ be the category of topological spaces. To each group $(G, \circ_G)$, we can associate a topological space $(G,\tau_G)$ the basis for ...
- 8,529
1
vote
0
answers
57
views
$\omega$-nilpotent cover of a recurrent surface
Theorem. Any $\omega$-nilpotent cover of a recurrent Riemannian manifold is Liouville.
$\omega$-nilpotent ($\Gamma=\bigcup_{i=1}^{\infty}Z_{i}$, $Z_{i}$ normal in $\Gamma$, where $Z_{n+1}$ maps to ...
- 391
8
votes
0
answers
204
views
Relationship between the p-radical subgroups and the parabolics in a BN-pair generality
A theorem of Quillen says that if $G$ is a finite Chevalley group over characteristic $p$, then the poset $\mathcal{A}_p(G)$ of nontrivial elementary abelian subgroups of $G$ is homotopy equivalent (I ...
- 1,726
28
votes
4
answers
4k
views
Classifying Space of a Group Extension
Consider a short exact sequence of Abelian groups -- I'm happy to assume they're finite as a toy example:
$$
0 \to H \to G \to G/H \to 0\ .
$$
I want to understand the classifying space of $G$. Since ...
- 63.9k
7
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Classifying space of semidirect product of groups
Assume that $G$ and $H$ are two groups and $G\rtimes _\phi H$ is their semidirect product. My question is, how does the classifying space $B(G\rtimes_\phi H)$ of $G\rtimes _\phi H$ relate to $BG$ and $...
- 9,580
4
votes
0
answers
136
views
Second homology of finitely presented group with free abelianisation
It is known that for a presented group $G=F/N$ we have
$$H_2(G;\mathbb{Z}) \cong \frac{[F,F]\cap N}{[F,N]}.$$
In general, the right side seems to be difficult to calculate. I am in the special ...
- 1,623
6
votes
1
answer
237
views
Example similar to the Griffiths twin cone but with fundamental group that allows surjection onto $\mathbb Z$
The Griffiths twin cone is an example of a wedge sum of two contractible spaces being non-contractible. Namely, it is the wedge sum $\mathbb G=C\mathbb H\vee_p C\mathbb H$ of two coni over the ...
- 7,193
5
votes
0
answers
636
views
Do the ternary braid groups arise in algebraic topology?
Let $TB_{n}$ be the group defined by the presentation with generators $t_{1},...,t_{n-2}$ and relations $t_{i}t_{i+1}t_{i+2}t_{i}=t_{i+2}t_{i}t_{i+1}t_{i+2}$
and $t_{i}t_{j}=t_{j}t_{i}$ whenever $|i-j|...
11
votes
0
answers
331
views
If an additive group of $\Bbb R^2$ contains a smoothly deformed circle, is it necessarily all of $\Bbb R^2$?
It can be shown that if an additive subgroup of $\Bbb R^2$ contains the unit circle, then it is necessarily all of $\Bbb R^2$. Does this also hold for a suitably smoothly deformed unit circle?
...
- 2,263
8
votes
1
answer
519
views
The extension class of a finite Heisenberg group
Let $\mathbb{K}$ be a field of characteristic $\neq 2$ and let $(V, \omega)$ be a symplectic vector space. Then the Heisenberg group $\mathsf{Heis}(V, \, \omega)$ is the central extension of the ...
- 5,654
24
votes
1
answer
968
views
Groups whose finite index subgroups of fixed index are isomorphic
I am interested in finitely generated groups $G$ that are residually finite and have the following property: For each $d \geq 1$, $G$ has subgroups of finite index $d$, and all such subgroups are ...
- 3,736
20
votes
4
answers
3k
views
Relationship between the cohomology of a group and the cohomology of its associated Lie algebra
Let $G$ be a group and let $k$ be a field (characteristic 0 if you want). Let $L$ be the graded Lie ring associated to the lower central series of $G$, that is, $L$, as a graded abelian group is $\...
- 806
6
votes
2
answers
749
views
Explicit computation of the Burnside ring
I would like to see explicit computations of the Burnside ring $A(G)$ when $G$ is a small Abelian group, such as $G=\mathbb{Z}/2,\mathbb{Z}/2^n,\mathbb{Z}/p^n$ where $p$ is an odd prime and $n\...
- 3,051
9
votes
2
answers
939
views
A question on the fundamental group of a compact orientable surface of genus >1
Let $G=\pi(X,x)$ be the fundamental group of a compact orientable
surface of genus $g\ge 2$. It is well known that a presentation of
$G$ is
$$G=\langle x_1,y_1,\dots,x_g,y_g \ | \ [x_1,y_1]\cdots
[x_g,...
- 2,163
9
votes
0
answers
420
views
Hochschild-Serre spectral sequence via explicit filtration
Let
$$1 \longrightarrow K \longrightarrow G \longrightarrow Q \longrightarrow 1$$
be a short exact sequence of groups and let $M$ be a $\mathbb{Z}[G]$-module. The Hochschild--Serre spectral ...
- 163
62
votes
9
answers
9k
views
Fundamental groups of noncompact surfaces
I got fantastic answers to my previous question (about modern references for the fact that surfaces can be triangulated), so I thought I'd ask a related question. A basic fact about surface topology ...
- 2,274
9
votes
2
answers
650
views
Action of the homotopy braid groups on reduced free groups
Firstly some definitions:
$B_n$ is the braid group with $n$ strands.
$\widetilde{B_n}$ is "homotopy braid group", which is a factor group of $B_n$ by adding the relation that $A_{j,k}$ ...
- 4,713
17
votes
1
answer
683
views
Relationship between Smith's special homology groups and equivariant homology theory
EDIT: Tyler Lawson's answer was so nice that I was inspired to rewrite the notes discussed below to use Bredon homology in the definition of the Smith special homology groups. The original version is ...
- 44.8k
3
votes
0
answers
208
views
Cell structure on $B\mathbb{G}$ and the bar resolution of $\mathbb{G}$
Consider $\mathbb{G}$, which can be viewed as a group, as well as a 2-group.
(For example, given a short exact sequence
$$
1 \to BG_2 \to \mathbb{G} \to G_1 \to 1
$$
and the fiber sequence:
$$
B^2G_2 ...
- 10.5k
3
votes
2
answers
343
views
Good, detailed references for "mod p lower central series"
I am looking for good, detailed references for "mod $p$ lower central series".
So far I only find papers such as (https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/81193793.pdf, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/...
CommunityBot
- 1
18
votes
2
answers
592
views
primary decomposition for nonabelian cohomology of finite groups
Let $G$ be a finite group, and let $M$ be a group on which $G$ acts (via a homomorphism $G\to \operatorname{Aut}(M)$).
If $M$ is abelian, hence a $\mathbb{Z}G$-module, there is a primary ...
- 35.9k
2
votes
1
answer
660
views
Show that the rational cohomology ring $H^*(M;\mathbb{Q})$ needs at least two generators
Let $M$ be a simply connected closed Riemannian manifold. How does one find a necessary condition going both ways that may be imposed on $M$ (perhaps on the curvature of $M$ and on torsion) which ...
- 239
4
votes
1
answer
365
views
Topological interpretation for groups of type $FP_2$
A group $G$ is of type $FP_2$ if it admits a partial projective resolution of $\mathbb{Z}G$-modules $$ P_2 \rightarrow P_1 \rightarrow P_0 \rightarrow \mathbb{Z} \rightarrow 0$$ with each $P_i$ being ...
- 3,451
9
votes
1
answer
308
views
Projective resolutions of finite-dimensional representations of infinite groups
Let $G$ be a group and let $V$ be a finite-dimensional complex representation of $G$. Question: Under what circumstances can I find a projective resolution
$$ \cdots \longrightarrow P_3 \...
- 38.6k
33
votes
3
answers
6k
views
(co)homology of symmetric groups
Let $S_n=\{\text{bijections }[n]\to[n]\}$ be the n-th symmetric group. Its (co)homology will be understood with trivial action. What are the $\mathbb{Z}$-modules $H_k(S_n;\mathbb{Z})$? Using GAP, we ...
- 3,451
6
votes
2
answers
331
views
Epimorphisms from the genus $2$ surface braid group to finite groups
This question is somehow related to my previous MO question Explicit description of a subgroup of the braid group $\mathsf{B}_2(C_2)$; for the reader convenience, let me write down again the relevant ...
- 37.4k
10
votes
1
answer
274
views
A flatness result of Fiedorwicz for amalgamated free products of monoids in connection with classifying spaces of monoids
In Lemma 5.2(a) of Z. Fiedorowicz, Classifying Spaces of Topological Monoids and Categories American Journal of Mathematics Vol. 106, No. 2 (Apr., 1984), pp. 301-350 the author proves the following.
...
CommunityBot
- 1
2
votes
2
answers
151
views
How to prove that $\phi: \;\mathrm Mod(S_g)\to \mathrm Sp(2g, \mathbb{Z})$ is an epimorphism? [duplicate]
How do I prove that homomorphism $\phi : \; \mathrm{Mod}(S_g)\to \mathrm{Sp}(2g, \mathbb{Z})$ (induced by the action of mapping class group of a surface on integer homologies of a surface) is an ...
- 96.4k
11
votes
1
answer
167
views
A group of type F that is an extension of type F-by-type F
Let us first recall that a group of type $F$ is a group admitting a compact classifying space.
Let $K$ and $Q$ be groups of type $F$. Consider the family $\mathcal{G}(K, Q)$ consisting of groups $G$ ...
- 38.6k
10
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Acyclic Finite Groups
A group is called acyclic if its classifying space has the same homology of a point. Examples of acyclic groups include Higman's group with four generators and relations, also ...
- 2,630
9
votes
0
answers
439
views
(Torsion in) homology of free nilpotent groups
It is known that for free $k$-step nilpotent group on $r$ generators $N(r, k)$ its integral homology is torsion-free in degrees $\leq 3$ (obvious for 1 and 2, Igusa&Orr computations for 3). ...
- 4,600
6
votes
1
answer
406
views
Connection between Stalling's end theorem and Seifert-van Kampen Theorem
Stalling`s end Theorem (a group has more than one end iff it splits over a finite subgroup) and the Seifert-van Kampen Theorem (the fundamental group of a 'decomposable' space is a free amalgamated ...
- 1,228
13
votes
1
answer
552
views
Realizing symmetric groups by diffeomorphisms
Let $M$ be a (closed, smooth) manifold of dimension $d$. For $n$ a positive integer, fix $n$ points $x_1, \dots, x_n \in M$. The group of diffeomorphisms of $M$ that permutes the points $x_i$ surjects ...
- 44.8k