Let Γ be a crystallographic group of dimension n, i.e. a discrete, cocompact subgroup of Isom(ℝn ) = O(n) ⋉ ℝn . For any n ⩾ 2, we construct a crystallographic group with a trivial center and trivial outer automorphism group.

Referring to Tits′ alternative, we develop a necessary and sufficient condition to decide whether the normalizer of a finite group of integral matrices is polycyclic-by-finite or is containing a non-Abelian free group. This result is of fundamental importance to conclude whether the (outer) automorphism group of a Bieberbach group is polycyclic-by-finite or has a non-cyclic free subgroup.

If we investigate symmetry of an infra-nilmanifold M, the outer automorphism group of its fundamental group (an almost-Bieberbach group) is known to be a crucial object. In this paper, we characterise algebraically almost-Bieberbach groups E with finite outer automorphism group Out(E). Inspired by the description of Anosov diffeomorphisms on M, we also present an interesting class of infinite order outer automorphisms. Another possible type of infinite order outer automorphisms arises when comparing Out(E) with the outer automorphism group of the underlying crystallographic group of E.

Let M be a compact flat Riemannian manifold of dimension n, and Γ its fundamental group. Then we have the following exact sequence (see [1])

where Zn is a maximal abelian subgroup of Γ and G is a finite group isomorphic to the holonomy group of M. We shall call Γ a Bieberbach group. Let T be a flat torus, and let Ggr act via isometries on T; then ┌ acts isometrically on × T where is the universal covering of M and yields a flat Riemannian structure on ( × T)/Γ. A flat-toral extension (see [9, p. 371]) of the Riemannian manifold M is any Riemannian manifold isometric to ( × T)/Γ where T is a flat torus on which Γ acts via isometries. It is convenient to adopt the convention that a single point is a 0-dimensional flat torus. If this is done, M is itself among the flat toral extensions of M. Roughly speaking, this is a way of putting together a compact flat manifold and a flat torus to make a new flat manifold the dimension of which is the sum of the dimensions of its constituents. It is, more precisely, a fibre bundle over the flat manifold with a flat torus as fibre.

Kan and Thurston, in their paper [5], asked whether each smooth closed manifold other than S2 or RP2 has the same integral homology as a closed aspherical manifold. F. E. A. Johnson in [3], [4] is concerned with the answer to this question when the smooth closed manifold is an n-dimensional sphere Sn. He asked whether there exist aspherical manifolds Xг which have the homology of Sn.