We say a group G satisfies properties (M) and (NM) if every nontrivial finite subgroup of G is contained in a unique maximal finite subgroup, and every nontrivial finite maximal subgroup is self-normalizing. We prove that the Bredon cohomological dimension and the virtual cohomological dimension coincide for groups that admit a cocompact model for EG and satisfy properties (M) and (NM). Among the examples of groups satisfying these hypothesis are cocompact and arithmetic Fuchsian groups, one-relator groups, the Hilbert modular group, and 3-manifold groups.

We calculate the Bieri–Neumann–Strebel–Renz invariant Σ1(G) for finitely presented residually free groups G and show that its complement in the character sphere S(G) is a finite union of finite intersections of closed sub-spheres in S(G). Furthermore, we find some restrictions on the higher-dimensional homological invariants Σn(G, ℤ) and show for the discrete points Σ2(G)dis, Σ2(G, ℤ)dis and Σ2(G, ℚ)dis in Σ2(G), Σ2(G, ℤ) and Σ2(G, ℚ) that we have the equality Σ2(G)dis = Σ2(G, ℤ)dis = Σ2(G, ℚ)dis.

We use methods from the cohomology of groups to describe the finite groups which can act freely and homologically trivially on closed 3-manifolds which are rational homology spheres.

On établit une décomposition de l’homologie stable des groupes d’automorphismes des groupes libres à coefficients polynomiaux contravariants en termes d’homologie des foncteurs. Elle permet plusieurs calculs explicites, qui recoupent des résultats établis de manière indépendante par O. Randal-Williams et généralisent certains d’entre eux. Nos méthodes reposent sur l’examen d’extensions de Kan dérivées associées à plusieurs catégories de groupes libres, la généralisation d’un critère d’annulation homologique à coefficients polynomiaux dû à Scorichenko, le théorème de Galatius identifiant l’homologie stable des groupes d’automorphismes des groupes libres à celle des groupes symétriques, la machinerie des $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6E4}$-espaces et le scindement de Snaith.

We generalize the Cohen–Lenstra heuristics over function fields to étale group schemes $G$ (with the classical case of abelian groups corresponding to constant group schemes). By using the results of Ellenberg–Venkatesh–Westerland, we make progress towards the proof of these heuristics. Moreover, by keeping track of the image of the Weil-pairing as an element of $\wedge ^{2}G(1)$, we formulate more refined heuristics which nicely explain the deviation from the usual Cohen–Lenstra heuristics for abelian $\ell$-groups in cases where $\ell \mid q-1$; the nature of this failure was suggested already in the works of Malle, Garton, Ellenberg–Venkatesh–Westerland, and others. On the purely large random matrix side, we provide a natural model which has the correct moments, and we conjecture that these moments uniquely determine a limiting probability measure.

We provide explicit and unified formulas for the cocycles of all degrees on the normalized bar resolutions of finite abelian groups. This is achieved by constructing a chain map from the normalized bar resolution to a Koszul-like resolution for any given finite abelian group. With a help of the obtained cocycle formulas, we determine all the braided linear Gr-categories and compute the Dijkgraaf–Witten Invariants of the n-torus for all n.

A duality theorem for the stable module category of representations of a finite group scheme is proved. One of its consequences is an analogue of Serre duality, and the existence of Auslander–Reiten triangles for the $\mathfrak{p}$-local and $\mathfrak{p}$-torsion subcategories of the stable category, for each homogeneous prime ideal $\mathfrak{p}$ in the cohomology ring of the group scheme.

For a centre-by-metabelian pro-$p$ group $G$ of type $\text{FP}_{2m}$, for some $m\geqslant 1$, we show that $\sup _{M\in {\mathcal{A}}}$ rk $H_{i}(M,\mathbb{Z}_{p})<\infty$, for all $0\leqslant i\leqslant m$, where ${\mathcal{A}}$ is the set of all subgroups of $p$-power index in $G$ and, for a finitely generated abelian pro-$p$ group $V$, rk $V=\dim V\otimes _{\mathbb{Z}_{p}}\mathbb{Q}_{p}$.

We consider smooth, complex quasiprojective varieties $U$ that admit a compactification with a boundary, which is an arrangement of smooth algebraic hypersurfaces. If the hypersurfaces intersect locally like hyperplanes, and the relative interiors of the hypersurfaces are Stein manifolds, we prove that the cohomology of certain local systems on $U$ vanishes. As an application, we show that complements of linear, toric, and elliptic arrangements are both duality and abelian duality spaces.

For a field $\text{k}$, we prove that the $i$th homology of the groups $\operatorname{GL}_{n}(\text{k})$, $\operatorname{SL}_{n}(\text{k})$, $\operatorname{Sp}_{2n}(\text{k})$, $\operatorname{SO}_{n,n}(\text{k})$, and $\operatorname{SO}_{n,n+1}(\text{k})$ with coefficients in their Steinberg representations vanish for $n\geqslant 2i+2$.

Let G be a group acting freely, properly discontinuously and cellularly on some finite dimensional CW-complex Σ(2n) which has the homotopy type of the 2n-sphere 𝕊2n. Then, that action induces a homomorphism G → Aut(H2n(Σ(2n))). We classify all pairs (G, φ), where G is a virtually cyclic group and φ: G → Aut(ℤ) is a homomorphism, which are realizable in the way above and the homotopy types of all possible orbit spaces as well. Next, we consider the family of all groups which have virtual cohomological dimension one and which act on some Σ(2n). Those groups consist of free groups and semi-direct products F ⋊ ℤ2 with F a free group. For a group G from the family above and a homomorphism φ: G → Aut(ℤ), we present an algebraic criterion equivalent to the realizability of the pair (G, φ). It turns out that any realizable pair can be realized on some Σ(2n) with dim Σ(2n) ≤ 2n + 1.

In parallel to the classical theory of central extensions of groups, we develop a version for extensions that preserve commutativity. It is shown that the Bogomolov multiplier is a universal object parametrizing such extensions of a given group. Maximal and minimal extensions are inspected, and a connection with commuting probability is explored. Such considerations produce bounds for the exponent and rank of the Bogomolov multiplier.

Let G be a polycyclic, metabelian or soluble of type (FP)∞ group such that the class Rat(G) of all rational subsets of G is a Boolean algebra. Then, G is virtually abelian. Every soluble biautomatic group is virtually abelian.

We introduce the concept of infinite cochain sequences and initiate a theory of homological algebra for them. We show how these sequences simplify and improve the construction of infinite coclass families (as introduced by Eick and Leedham-Green) and also how they can be applied to prove that almost all groups in such a family have equivalent Quillen categories. We also include some examples of infinite families of $p$-groups from different coclass families that have equivalent Quillen categories.

In this paper, we completely characterize solvable real Lie groups definable in o-minimal expansions of the real field.

We investigate conjectures and questions regarding topological phenomena related to free actions on homotopy spheres and present some affirmative answers.

We remedy an omission in the proof of Proposition 2.7 of the paper ‘Cohomology and profinite topologies for solvable groups of finite rank’, Bull. Aust. Math. Soc.86 (2012), 254–265. This proposition states that a solvable group with finite abelian section rank has merely finitely many subgroups of any given index.

We prove a cohomological property for a class of finite $p$-groups introduced earlier by Xu, which we call semi-abelian $p$-groups. This result implies that a semi-abelian $p$-group has noninner automorphisms of order $p$, which settles a long-standing problem for this class. We answer also, independetly, an old question posed by Xu about the power structure of semi-abelian $p$-groups.

In this note we show that the members of a certain class of local similarity groups are ${l}^{2}$-invisible, i.e. the (non-reduced) group homology of the regular unitary representation vanishes in all degrees. This class contains groups of type ${F}_{\infty }$, e.g. Thompson’s group $V$ and Nekrashevych–Röver groups. They yield counterexamples to a generalized zero-in-the-spectrum conjecture for groups of type ${F}_{\infty }$.

We describe various classes of infinitely presented groups that are condensation points in the space of marked groups. A well-known class of such groups consists of finitely generated groups admitting an infinite minimal presentation. We introduce here a larger class of condensation groups, called infinitely independently presentable groups, and establish criteria which allow one to infer that a group is infinitely independently presentable. In addition, we construct examples of finitely generated groups with no minimal presentation, among them infinitely presented groups with Cantor–Bendixson rank 1, and we prove that every infinitely presented metabelian group is a condensation group.