35 research outputs found
Undecidability of the word problem for one-relator inverse monoids via right-angled Artin subgroups of one-relator groups
We prove the following results: (1) There is a one-relator inverse monoid Inv⟨A|w=1⟩ with undecidable word problem; and (2) There are one-relator groups with undecidable submonoid membership problem. The second of these results is proved by showing that for any finite forest the associated right-angled Artin group embeds into a one-relator group. Combining this with a result of Lohrey and Steinberg (J Algebra 320(2):728–755, 2008), we use this to prove that there is a one-relator group containing a fixed finitely generated submonoid in which the membership problem is undecidable. To prove (1) a new construction is introduced which uses the one-relator group and submonoid in which membership is undecidable from (2) to construct a one-relator inverse monoid Inv⟨A|w=1⟩ with undecidable word problem. Furthermore, this method allows the construction of an E-unitary one-relator inverse monoid of this form with undecidable word problem. The results in this paper answer a problem originally posed by Margolis et al. (in: Semigroups and their applications, Reidel, Dordrecht, pp. 99–110, 1987)
Algorithmic properties of inverse monoids with hyperbolic and tree-like Sch\"utzenberger graphs
We prove that the class of finitely presented inverse monoids whose
Sch\"utzenberger graphs are quasi-isometric to trees has a uniformly solvable
word problem, furthermore, the languages of their Sch\"utzenberger automata are
context-free. On the other hand, we show that there is a finitely presented
inverse monoid with hyperbolic Sch\"utzenberger graphs and an unsolvable word
problem
Stallings graphs for quasi-convex subgroups
We show that one can define and effectively compute Stallings graphs for
quasi-convex subgroups of automatic groups (\textit{e.g.} hyperbolic groups or
right-angled Artin groups). These Stallings graphs are finite labeled graphs,
which are canonically associated with the corresponding subgroups. We show that
this notion of Stallings graphs allows a unified approach to many algorithmic
problems: some which had already been solved like the generalized membership
problem or the computation of a quasi-convexity constant (Kapovich, 1996); and
others such as the computation of intersections, the conjugacy or the almost
malnormality problems.
Our results extend earlier algorithmic results for the more restricted class
of virtually free groups. We also extend our construction to relatively
quasi-convex subgroups of relatively hyperbolic groups, under certain
additional conditions.Comment: 40 pages. New and improved versio
The word problem and combinatorial methods for groups and semigroups
The subject matter of this thesis is combinatorial semigroup theory. It includes material, in no particular order, from combinatorial and geometric group theory, formal language theory, theoretical computer science, the history of mathematics, formal logic, model theory, graph theory, and decidability theory.
In Chapter 1, we will give an overview of the mathematical background required to state the results of the remaining chapters. The only originality therein lies in the exposition of special monoids presented in §1.3, which uni.es the approaches by several authors.
In Chapter 2, we introduce some general algebraic and language-theoretic constructions which will be useful in subsequent chapters. As a corollary of these general methods, we recover and generalise a recent result by Brough, Cain & Pfei.er that the class of monoids with context-free word problem is closed under taking free products.
In Chapter 3, we study language-theoretic and algebraic properties of special monoids, and completely classify this theory in terms of the group of units. As a result, we generalise the Muller-Schupp theorem to special monoids, and answer a question posed by Zhang in 1992.
In Chapter 4, we give a similar treatment to weakly compressible monoids, and characterise their language-theoretic properties. As a corollary, we deduce many new results for one-relation monoids, including solving the rational subset membership problem for many such monoids. We also prove, among many other results, that it is decidable whether a one-relation monoid containing a non-trivial idempotent has context-free word problem.
In Chapter 5, we study context-free graphs, and connect the algebraic theory of special monoids with the geometric behaviour of their Cayley graphs. This generalises the geometric aspects of the Muller-Schupp theorem for groups to special monoids. We study the growth rate of special monoids, and prove that a special monoid of intermediate growth is a group
Foliations for solving equations in groups: free, virtually free, and hyperbolic groups
We give an algorithm for solving equations and inequations with rational
constraints in virtually free groups. Our algorithm is based on Rips
classification of measured band complexes. Using canonical representatives, we
deduce an algorithm for solving equations and inequations in hyperbolic groups
(maybe with torsion). Additionnally, we can deal with quasi-isometrically
embeddable rational constraints.Comment: 70 pages, 7 figures, revised version. To appear in Journal of
Topolog
On the difficulty of presenting finitely presentable groups
We exhibit classes of groups in which the word problem is uniformly solvable
but in which there is no algorithm that can compute finite presentations for
finitely presentable subgroups. Direct products of hyperbolic groups, groups of
integer matrices, and right-angled Coxeter groups form such classes. We discuss
related classes of groups in which there does exist an algorithm to compute
finite presentations for finitely presentable subgroups. We also construct a
finitely presented group that has a polynomial Dehn function but in which there
is no algorithm to compute the first Betti number of the finitely presentable
subgroups.Comment: Final version. To appear in GGD volume dedicated to Fritz Grunewal
Exponent equations in HNN-extensions
We consider exponent equations in finitely generated groups. These are
equations, where the variables appear as exponents of group elements and take
values from the natural numbers. Solvability of such (systems of) equations has
been intensively studied for various classes of groups in recent years. In many
cases, it turns out that the set of all solutions on an exponent equation is a
semilinear set that can be constructed effectively. Such groups are called
knapsack semilinear. Examples of knapsack semilinear groups are hyperbolic
groups, virtually special groups, co-context-free groups and free solvable
groups. Moreover, knapsack semilinearity is preserved by many group theoretic
constructions, e.g., finite extensions, graph products, wreath products,
amalgamated free products with finite amalgamated subgroups, and HNN-extensions
with finite associated subgroups. On the other hand, arbitrary HNN-extensions
do not preserve knapsack semilinearity. In this paper, we consider the knapsack
semilinearity of HNN-extensions, where the stable letter acts trivially by
conjugation on the associated subgroup of the base group . We show that
under some additional technical conditions, knapsack semilinearity transfers
from base group to the HNN-extension . These additional technical
conditions are satisfied in many cases, e.g., when is a centralizer in
or is a quasiconvex subgroup of the hyperbolic group .Comment: A short version appeared in Proceedings of ISSAC 202
Presentations for subsemigroups of groups
This thesis studies subsemigroups of groups from three perspectives: automatic structures, ordinary semigroup presentations, and Malcev presentaions. [A Malcev presentation is a presentation of a special type for a semigroup that can be embedded into a group. A group-embeddable semigroup is Malcev coherent if all of its finitely generated subsemigroups admit finite Malcev presentations.] The theory of synchronous and asynchronous automatic structures for semigroups is expounded, particularly for group-embeddable semigroups. In particular, automatic semigroups embeddable into groups are shown to inherit many of the pleasant geometric properties of automatic groups. It is proved that group- embeddable automatic semigroups admit finite Malcev presentations, and such presentations can be found effectively. An algorithm is exhibited to test whether an automatic semigroup is a free semigroup. Cancellativity of automatic semigroups is proved to be undecidable. Study is made of several classes of groups: virtually free groups; groups that satisfy semigroup laws (in particular [virtually] nilpotent and [virtually] abelian groups); polycyclic groups; free and direct products of certain groups; and one-relator groups. For each of these classes, the question of Malcev coherence is considered, together with the problems of whether finitely generated subsemigroups are finitely presented or automatic. This study yields closure and containment results regarding the class of Malcev coherent groups. The property of having a finite Malcev presentation is shown to be preserved under finite Rees index extensions and subsemigroups. Other concepts of index are also studied