Four-head conjecture for finitely generated infinite groups

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Let GG be a finitely generated infinite group. Write h(G)h(G) for the supremum of the integers nn such that the nn-head hierarchy has a strict inclusion at level nn, and write G≥ZG \geq \mathbb{Z} for the condition that GG contains a subgroup isomorphic to Z\mathbb{Z}. The group GG has decidable word problem when there is an algorithm deciding whether a given word in its generators represents the identity.

Four-head conjecture. If G≥ZG \geq \mathbb{Z} and GG has decidable word problem, then h(G)=3h(G)=3; if G≥ZG \geq \mathbb{Z} and GG has undecidable word problem, then h(G)=4h(G)=4; and if GG is a torsion group, then h(G)=∞h(G)=\infty.

This conjecture proposes that, among finitely generated infinite groups, the need for four heads is characterized by undecidability of the word problem for groups containing an infinite cyclic subgroup, while torsion groups have infinite head height. The paper establishes that 44 occurs as a head height and that the only possible finite heights are 22, 33, and 44, but the stated classification is not resolved here.

References

Primary source

Ville Salo, “Four heads are better than three”, arXiv:2003.05706 (2022).

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