Pullbacks and intersections in categories of graphs of groups

Fuente: arXiv
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Auteurs principaux: Delgado, Jordi, Linton, Marco, Zearra, Jone Lopez de Gamiz, Roy, Mallika, Weil, Pascal
Format: Preprint
Publié: 2025
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author Delgado, Jordi
Linton, Marco
Zearra, Jone Lopez de Gamiz
Roy, Mallika
Weil, Pascal
author_facet Delgado, Jordi
Linton, Marco
Zearra, Jone Lopez de Gamiz
Roy, Mallika
Weil, Pascal
contents We develop a categorical framework for studying graphs of groups and their morphisms, with emphasis on pullbacks. More precisely, building on classical work by Serre and Bass, we give an explicit construction of the so-called $\mathbb{A}$-product of two morphisms into a graph of groups $\mathbb{A}$ -- a graph of groups which, within the appropriate categorical setting, captures the intersection of subgroups of the fundamental group of $\mathbb{A}$. We show that, in the category of pointed graphs of groups, pullbacks always exist and correspond precisely to pointed $\mathbb{A}$-products. In contrast, pullbacks do not always exist in the category of unpointed graphs of groups. However, when they do exist, and we show that it is the case, in particular, under certain acylindricity conditions, they are again closely related to $\mathbb{A}$-products. We trace, all along, the parallels with Stallings' classical theory of graph immersions and coverings, in relation to the study of the subgroups of free groups. Our results are useful for studying intersections of subgroups of groups that arise as fundamental groups of graphs of groups. As an example, we carry out an explicit computation of a pullback which results in a classification of the Baumslag--Solitar groups with the finitely generated intersection property.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2508_04362
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Pullbacks and intersections in categories of graphs of groups
Delgado, Jordi
Linton, Marco
Zearra, Jone Lopez de Gamiz
Roy, Mallika
Weil, Pascal
Group Theory
20F65 (Primary) 0E06, 20E07, 20E08, 18A30 (Secondary)
We develop a categorical framework for studying graphs of groups and their morphisms, with emphasis on pullbacks. More precisely, building on classical work by Serre and Bass, we give an explicit construction of the so-called $\mathbb{A}$-product of two morphisms into a graph of groups $\mathbb{A}$ -- a graph of groups which, within the appropriate categorical setting, captures the intersection of subgroups of the fundamental group of $\mathbb{A}$. We show that, in the category of pointed graphs of groups, pullbacks always exist and correspond precisely to pointed $\mathbb{A}$-products. In contrast, pullbacks do not always exist in the category of unpointed graphs of groups. However, when they do exist, and we show that it is the case, in particular, under certain acylindricity conditions, they are again closely related to $\mathbb{A}$-products. We trace, all along, the parallels with Stallings' classical theory of graph immersions and coverings, in relation to the study of the subgroups of free groups. Our results are useful for studying intersections of subgroups of groups that arise as fundamental groups of graphs of groups. As an example, we carry out an explicit computation of a pullback which results in a classification of the Baumslag--Solitar groups with the finitely generated intersection property.
title Pullbacks and intersections in categories of graphs of groups
topic Group Theory
20F65 (Primary) 0E06, 20E07, 20E08, 18A30 (Secondary)
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.04362