On the Bieri-Neumann-Strebel-Renz $Sigma$-invariants of the Bestvina-Brady groups


Abstract in English

We study the Bieri-Neumann-Strebel-Renz invariants and we prove the following criterion: for groups $H$ and $K$ of type $FP_n$ such that $[H,H] subseteq K subseteq H$ and a character $chi : K to mathbb{R}$ with $chi([H,H]) = 0$ we have $[chi] in Sigma^n(K, mathbb{Z})$ if and only if $[mu] in Sigma^n(H, mathbb{Z})$ for every character $mu : H to mathbb{R}$ that extends $chi$. The same holds for the homotopical invariants $Sigma^n(-)$ when $K$ and $H$ are groups of type $F_n$. We use these criteria to complete the description of the $Sigma$-invariants of the Bieri-Stallings groups $G_m$ and more generally to describe the $Sigma$-invariants of the Bestvina-Brady groups. We also show that the only if direction of such criterion holds if we assume only that $K$ is a subnormal subgroup of $H$, where both groups are of type $FP_n$. We apply this last result to wreath products.

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