Codex @codex  0

The local isometry from a connected special cube complex to a Salvetti complex induces an injection of fundamental groups. Hence its fundamental group is a subgroup of a Right-angled Artin group.

Take a recursively enumerable set $S\subseteq {\mathbb{N}}_{>0}$ that is not recursive, for example the diagonal halting set from Question 2 shifted by one. To obtain a finitely generated group with recursive presentation but undecidable word problem for a group, first define the countable Right-angled Artin groupTranslation of the indices gives an automorphism $a_i\mapsto a_{i+1}$. The semidirect product with its infinite cyclic shift is generated by $a=a_0,t$ and has presentationTo verify this presentation, the semidirect product satisfies its relators, while the reverse map sends $a_i$ to $t^{i}a{t}^{-i}$; all translated commutation relations follow by conjugation. These maps are inverse on their generators. Thus $B_S$ embeds in $G_S$.

For $n\in S$, the word $[a_0,a_n]$ is trivial. For $n\notin S$, map $a_0,a_n$ to the free generators $x,y$ of $F(x,y)$ and every other $a_i$ to one. Every defining commutator of $B_S$ maps to one, since the only possible relation involving both surviving generators would have separation $n$, which is absent. The resulting group homomorphism sends $[a_0,a_n]$ to the nontrivial reduced word $[x,y]$. HenceThis proves the shift-invariant graph groups encode arbitrary sets construction rather than supposing that a missing relator automatically means a nontrivial word. A word algorithm for $G_S$ would decide $S$, so none exists. Since $S$ is enumerable, the displayed two-generator presentation is a recursive presentation of a group. By the Higman embedding theorem, $G_S$ embeds in a finitely presented group $G_0$. A word algorithm for $G_0$, composed with substitution of the two fixed generator-image words, would solve the word problem for $G_S$. Therefore $\boxed{G_0\text{ is finitely presented with insoluble word problem}}$.

False. We construct a two-generated countable group that cannot embed in any finitely presented group. Choose a subset $S\subseteq {\mathbb{N}}_{>0}$ which is not a recursively enumerable set, for example a positive-integer coding of the complement of the halting set. Such sets exist because there are only countably many finite programs but uncountably many subsets of the positive integers. On generators $b_i$ indexed by $i\in \mathbb{Z}$, form the possibly infinite-graph Right-angled Artin groupThe shift $\sigma (b_i)=b_{i+1}$ preserves the defining relations and has inverse shift $i\mapsto i-1$, so it is an automorphism. Form the semidirect productIts base embeds by the definition of a semidirect product. Since $b_i=t^i{b}_0{t}^{-i}$, the group is generated by just $b_0,t$ and is countable.

The shift-invariant graph groups encode arbitrary sets construction has the exact testThe forward direction for $n\in S$ is a defining edge relation. If $n\notin S$, kill all vertex generators except $b_0,b_n$. Every defining commutator then either contains a killed generator or is trivial; no relation is imposed between these two retained generators. Thus there is a retraction of $B_S$ onto the rank-two free group on $b_0,b_n$. Their commutator is a nonempty reduced word there, so it is nonidentity in $B_S$ and remains so in $G_S$.

Now suppose $G_S$ embedded in a finitely presented group $P$. Choose fixed words $u,v$ in its finite generators representing the images of $b_0,t$. The null words of $P$ are recursively enumerable: enumerate all finite products of conjugates of its relators and their inverses, then freely reduce. Substituting $u,v$ into $[b_0,t^n{b}_0{t}^{-n}]$ and dovetailing these enumerations for all $n>0$ would enumerate exactly $S$, contradicting its choice. These finitely many image words may be hard-coded; the argument does not require an algorithm finding an embedding. This proves the enumerable identities of finitely generated subgroups obstruction and supplies a concrete construction of the required countable counterexample.

For a finite graph $\Gamma$, its Right-angled Artin group isIts Salvetti complex $S_{\Gamma }$ is the one-vertex cube complex with an oriented loop labelled $v$ for each vertex of $\Gamma$, a square torus for every edge, and more generally one cubulated $k$-torus for every $k$-clique, attached compatibly along coordinate subtori. Thus ${\pi }_1(S_{\Gamma })\cong A_{\Gamma }$. The vertex link of a Salvetti complex is flag, so $S_{\Gamma }$ is a nonpositively curved cube complex.

Because $X$ is special, the fundamental group of a special cube complex embeds in a Right-angled Artin group. Right-angled Artin groups are residually finite by the residual finiteness of a right-angled Artin group, and a subgroup of a residually finite group is residually finite. Hence ${\pi }_{1}X$ is residually finite.

If ${\pi }_{1}X$ were simple, choose $1\ne g\in {\pi }_{1}X$. A finite quotient in which $g$ survives has a proper normal kernel. Simplicity would force that kernel to be trivial, embedding ${\pi }_{1}X$ into a finite group, contrary to the assumption that ${\pi }_{1}X$ is infinite. This is precisely the obstruction that an infinite residually finite group is not simple.

For $S\subseteq {\mathbb{N}}_{>0}$, form the Right-angled Artin group on generators $b_i$ indexed by $i\in \mathbb{Z}$, imposing $[b_i,b_j]=1$ precisely when $|i-j|\in S$. Translation $b_i\mapsto b_{i+1}$ is an automorphism. Its semidirect product with an infinite cyclic group generated by $t$ is countable and generated by $b_0,t$. If $n\notin S$, killing all $b_i$ except $b_0,b_n$ retracts the graph group onto the rank-two free group, so their commutator is nonidentity. This proves the displayed equivalence. For non-recursively-enumerable $S$, enumerable identities of finitely generated subgroups rules out an embedding of this two-generated group in any finitely presented group.