Geometry & Topology, Vol. 9 (2005) Paper no. 41, pages 1835--1880.

The Grushko decomposition of a finite graph of finite rank free groups: an algorithm

Guo-An Diao, Mark Feighn


Abstract. A finitely generated group admits a decomposition, called its Grushko decomposition, into a free product of freely indecomposable groups. There is an algorithm to construct the Grushko decomposition of a finite graph of finite rank free groups. In particular, it is possible to decide if such a group is free.

Keywords. Graph of groups, Grushko decomposition, algorithm, labeled graph

AMS subject classification. Primary: 20F65. Secondary: 20E05.

E-print: arXiv:math.GR/0510198

DOI: 10.2140/gt.2005.9.1835

Submitted to GT on 5 February 2005. (Revised 11 September 2005.) Paper accepted 7 August 2005. Paper published 25 September 2005.

Notes on file formats

Guo-An Diao, Mark Feighn
School of Arts and Sciences, Holy Family University
Philadelphia, PA 19114, USA
and
Department of Mathematics and Computer Science
Rutgers University, Newark, NJ 07102, USA
Email: gdiao@holyfamily.edu, feighn@andromeda.rutgers.edu

GT home page

EMIS/ELibM Electronic Journals

Outdated Archival Version

These pages are not updated anymore. They reflect the state of 21 Apr 2006. For the current production of this journal, please refer to http://msp.warwick.ac.uk/.