Algebraic spectral gaps in group cohomology

In this project I am studying groups by means of their cohomologies. The focus is put to investigating group cohomology by its translation into group rings. In the group ring setting, one can distinguish specific Laplacians whose spectral properties are closely related to the cohomological ones.

The short description for the general public can be found here.

You can familiarize yourself with the project on the NSC Poland webpage as well.

DURATION

24 months

HOSTING INSTITUTION

Institute of Mathematics of the Polish Academy of Sciences

PROJECT OUTCOME

This paper descibes induction of spectral gaps of the Laplacian $\Delta_1=d_0d_0^*+d_1^*d_1$, where the differentials $d_i$ are given by Fox calculus. The induction can be applied to the cases of $\mathrm{SL}_n(\mathbb{Z})$, the group of $n\times n$ integer matrices with determinant one, and $\mathrm{SAut}(F_n)$, the group of special automorphisms of the free group on $n$ generators. In the former case, due to a direct computation for $\mathrm{SL}_3(\mathbb{Z})$, we are able to show the existence of such spectral gaps for any $\mathrm{SL}_n(\mathbb{Z})$, where $n\geq 3$. This constitutes, in particular, an alternative proof of Kazhdan’s property (T) for $\mathrm{SL}_n(\mathbb{Z})$.

DISSEMINATION OF RESULTS

Piotr Mizerka
Piotr Mizerka
Assistant Professor