English

Explicit solutions of certain orientable quadratic equations in free groups

Group Theory 2018-09-05 v2 Geometric Topology

Abstract

For g1g\geq1 denote by F2g=x1,y1,,xg,ygF_{2g}=\langle x_1, y_1,\dots,x_g,y_g\rangle the free group on 2g2g generators and by Bg=[x1,y1][xg,yg]B_g=[x_1,y_1]\dots[x_g,y_g]. For l,c1l,c\geq 1 and elements w1,,wlF2gw_1,\dots,w_l\in F_{2g} we study orientable quadratic equations of the form [u1,v1][uh,vh]=(Bgw1)c(Bgw2)c(Bgwl)c[u_1,v_1]\dots[u_h,v_h]=(B_g^{w_1})^c(B_g^{w_2})^c\dots(B_g^{w_l})^c with unknowns u1,v1,,uh,vhu_1,v_1,\dots,u_h,v_h and provide explicit solutions for them for the minimal possible number hh. In the particular case when g=1g=1, wi=y1i1w_i=y_1^{i-1} for i=1,,li=1,\dots,l and hh the minimal number which satisfies hl(c1)/2+1h \geq l(c-1)/2+1 we provide two types of solutions depending on the image of the subgroup H=u1,v1,,uh,vhH=\langle u_1,v_1,\dots,u_h,v_h\rangle generated by the solution under the natural homomorphism p:F2F2/[F2,F2]p:F_2\to F_2/[F_2,F_2]: the first solution, which is called a primitive solution, satisfies p(H)=F2/[F2,F2]p(H)=F_2/[F_2,F_2], the second solution satisfies p(H)=p(x1),p(y1l)p(H) = \big\langle p(x_1),p(y_1^l)\big\rangle. We also provide an explicit solution of the equation [u1,v1][uk,vk]=(B1)k+l(B1y)kl[u_1,v_1]\dots[u_k, v_k] = \big(B_1\big)^{k+l} \big({B_1}^{y}\big)^{k-l} for k>l0k>l\geq0 in F2F_2, and prove that if l0l\neq0, then every solution of this equation is primitive. As a geometrical consequence, for every solution we obtain a map f:ShTf:S_h\to T from the orientable surface ShS_h of genus hh to the torus T=S1T=S_1 which has the minimal number of roots among all maps from the homotopy class of ff. Depending on the number p(F2):p(H)|p(F_2):p(H)| such maps have fundamentally different geometric properties: in some cases they satisfy the Wecken property and in other cases not.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1808.08456,
  title  = {Explicit solutions of certain orientable quadratic equations in free groups},
  author = {D. L. Gonçalves and T. Nasybullov},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1808.08456},
  year   = {2018}
}
R2 v1 2026-06-23T03:43:48.093Z