The profinite primitivity conjecture for free groups

Let Fk\mathbf{F}_{k} be the free group of rank kk, and let F^k\widehat{\mathbf{F}}_{k} be its free profinite completion. An element is primitive if it belongs to a basis of the relevant free group. The profinite primitivity conjecture. For every word wFkw\in\mathbf{F}_{k},

w is primitive in F^kw is primitive in Fk.w\text{ is primitive in }\widehat{\mathbf{F}}_{k}\Longleftrightarrow w\text{ is primitive in }\mathbf{F}_{k}.

The source notes that primitivity in the discrete free group implies primitivity in its free profinite completion, and conjectures the converse. No resolution is supplied here.

Sources & referencesView supporting material

Primary source

Doron Puder, “Primitive Words, Free Factors and Measure Preservation”, arXiv:1104.3991 (2012).

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