Torsion invariants of complexes of groups


Abstract in English

Suppose a residually finite group $G$ acts cocompactly on a contractible complex with strict fundamental domain $Q$, where the stabilizers are either trivial or have normal $mathbb{Z}$-subgroups. Let $partial Q$ be the subcomplex of $Q$ with nontrivial stabilizers. Our main result is a computation of the homology torsion growth of a chain of finite index normal subgroups of $G$. We show that independent of the chain, the normalized torsion limits to the torsion of $partial Q$, shifted a degree. Under milder assumptions of acyclicity of nontrivial stabilizers, we show similar formulas for the mod p-homology growth. We also obtain formulas for the universal and the usual $L^2$-torsion of $G$ in terms of the torsion of stabilizers and topology of $partial Q$. In particular, we get complete answers for right-angled Artin groups, which shows they satisfy a torsion analogue of the Luck approximation theorem.

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