Topology & Geometric Group Theory Seminar

Spring 2010

1:30 – 2:30, Malott 203

Tuesday, March 30

Martin Kassabov, Cornell University


Bounding the residual finiteness of free groups

This is joint work with Francesco Matucci. We analyze the question of the minimal index of a normal subgroup in a free group which does not contain a given element. Recent work by BouRabee McReynolds and Rivin give estimates for the index. By using results on the length of shortest identities in finite simple groups we recover and improve polynomial upper and lower bounds for the order of the quotient. The bounds can be improved further if we assume that the element lies in the lower central series.

Back to seminar home page.