Related papers: $L^2$-Betti numbers and non-unitarizable groups wi…

We construct first examples of infinite finitely generated residually finite torsion groups with positive rank gradient. In particular, these groups are non-amenable. Some applications to problems about cost and $L^2$-Betti numbers are…

We establish a connection between Dixmier's unitarisability problem and the expected degree of random forests on a group. As a consequence, a residually finite group is non-unitarisable if its first L2-Betti number is non-zero or if it is…

We show that the first $L^2$-betti number of a finitely generated residually finite group can be estimated from below by using ordinary first betti numbers of finite index normal subgroups. As an application we construct a finitely…

The first $\ell^2$ Betti number of a group is non-decreasing under various embeddings arising from first order logic. Strict inequality is proved for elementary embeddings of non-abelian proper subgroups within torsion free hyperbolic…

We prove that every finitely presented group with positive first $\ell^2$-Betti number that virtually surjects onto $\mathbb Z$ is acylindrically hyperbolic. In particular, this implies acylindrical hyperbolicity of finitely presented…

We generalize a result of R. Thomas to establish the non-vanishing of the first l2-Betti number for a class of finitely generated groups.

We prove that nonvanishing of the first Novikov-Betti number implies that the fundamental group contains a nonabelian free subgroup.

We present a new method to construct finitely generated, residually finite, infinite torsion groups. In contrast to known constructions, a profinite perspective enables us to control finite quotients and normal subgroups of these torsion…

We prove that the abstract commensurator of a nonabelian free group, an infinite surface group, or more generally of a group that splits appropriately over a cyclic subgroup, is not finitely generated. This applies in particular to all…

We show that the first $\ell^2$-Betti number of the duals of the free unitary quantum groups is one, and that all $\ell^2$-Betti numbers vanish for the duals of the quantum automorphism groups of full matrix algebras.

Let $G$ be a countable group and $k$ a positive integer, we show that the $L^2$-Betti numbers of the group $G$ vanish up to degree $k$ provided that there is some infinite index subgroup $H$ with finite $k$th $L^2$-Betti number containing a…

We compute the $L^2$-Betti numbers of the free $C^*$-tensor categories, which are the representation categories of the universal unitary quantum groups $A_u(F)$. We show that the $L^2$-Betti numbers of the dual of a compact quantum group…

We construct an uncountable sequence of groups acting uniformly properly on hyperbolic spaces. We show that only countably many of these groups can be virtually torsion-free. This gives new examples of groups acting uniformly properly on…

Recently, Eduard Schesler and the second author constructed examples of finitely generated residually finite, hereditarily just infinite groups with positive first $L^2$-Betti number. In contrast to their result, we show that a finitely…

We construct finitely generated torsion-free solvable groups $G$ that have infinite rank, but such that all finitely generated torsion-free metabelian subquotients of $G$ are virtually abelian. In particular all finitely generated…

Sacerdote [Sa] has shown that the non-Abelian free groups satisfy precisely the same universal-existential sentences Th(F$_2$)$\cap \forall \exists $ in a first-order language L$_o$ appropriate for group theory. It is shown that in every…

We introduce a class of countable groups by some abstract group-theoretic conditions. It includes linear groups with finite amenable radical and finitely generated residually finite groups with some non-vanishing $\ell^2$-Betti numbers that…

We study the computability degree of real numbers arising as $L^2$-Betti numbers or $L^2$-torsion of groups, parametrised over the Turing degree of the word problem.

We exhibit free-by-cyclic groups containing non-free locally-free subgroups, including some word hyperbolic examples. We also show that these groups are not subgroup separable. We use Bestvina-Brady Morse theory in our arguments.

We observe a criterion for groups to have vanishing virtual first Betti number and use it to give infinitely many examples of torsion-free, finitely generated, residually finite groups which aren't virtually diffuse. This answers a question…