Abstract
In this paper we show that membership in finitely generated submonoids is undecidable for the free metabelian group of rank 2 and for the wreath product ℤ≀(ℤ×ℤ). We also show that subsemimodule membership is undecidable for finite rank free (ℤ×ℤ)-modules. The proof involves an encoding of Turing machines via tilings. We also show that rational subset membership is undecidable for two-dimensional lamplighter groups.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Almeida, J.: Semidirect products of pseudovarieties from the universal algebraist’s point of view. J. Pure Appl. Algebra 60(2), 113–128 (1989)
Anissimov, A.W., Seifert, F.D.: Zur algebraischen Charakteristik der durch kontext-freie Sprachen definierten Gruppen. Elektron. Informationsverarbeit. Kybern. 11(10–12), 695–702 (1975)
Avenhaus, J., Wißmann, D.: Using rewriting techniques to solve the generalized word problem in polycyclic groups. In: Proceedings of the ACM-SIGSAM 1989 International Symposium on Symbolic and Algebraic Computation, pp. 322–337. ACM, New York (1989)
Baumslag, G., Cannonito, F.B., Robinson, D.J.S.: The algorithmic theory of finitely generated metabelian groups. Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 344(2), 629–648 (1994)
Benois, M.: Parties rationnelles du groupe libre. C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris, Sér. A 269, 1188–1190 (1969)
Berger, R.: The undecidability of the domino problem. Mem. Am. Math. Soc. 66, 72 (1966)
Berstel, J.: Transductions and Context–Free Languages. Teubner, Stuttgart (1979)
Börger, E., Grädel, E., Gurevich, Y.: The Classical Decision Problem. Universitext. Springer, Berlin (2001)
Brown, K.: Cohomology of Groups. Springer, Berlin (1994)
Eilenberg, S., Schützenberger, M.P.: Rational sets in commutative monoids. J. Algebra 13, 173–191 (1969)
Garey, M.R., Johnson, D.S.: Computers and Intractability: A Guide to the Theory of NP-completeness. Freeman, New York (1979)
Gilman, R.H.: Formal languages and infinite groups. In: Geometric and Computational Perspectives on Infinite Groups, Minneapolis, MN and New Brunswick, NJ, 1994. DIMACS Ser. Discrete Math. Theoret. Comput. Sci., vol. 25, pp. 27–51. Am. Math. Soc., Providence (1996)
Kambites, M., Silva, P.V., Steinberg, B.: On the rational subset problem for groups. J. Algebra 309(2), 622–639 (2007)
Lohrey, M., Steinberg, B.: The submonoid and rational subset membership problems for graph groups. J. Algebra 320(2), 728–755 (2008)
Lohrey, M., Steinberg, B.: Submonoids and rational subsets of groups with infinitely many ends. J. Algebra (2009). doi:10.1016/j.jalgebra.2009.09.040
Malcev, A.I.: On homomorphisms onto finite groups. Am. Math. Soc. Transl., Ser. 2 119, 67–79 (1983). Translation from Ivanov. Gos. Ped. Inst. Ucen. Zap. 18, 49–60 (1958)
Margolis, S.W., Meakin, J., Šuniḱ, Z.: Distortion functions and the membership problem for submonoids of groups and monoids. In Geometric Methods in Group Theory. Contemp. Math., vol. 372, pp. 109–129. Am. Math. Soc., Providence (2005)
Myasnikov, A., Roman’kov, V., Ushakov, A., Vershik, A.: The word and geodesic problems in free solvable groups. Technical report, arXiv.org (2008). arXiv:0807.1032
Nedbaj, M.: The occurrence problem in a rational subset of the free product of groups. Vestn. Omsk. Univ. 2000(2), 17–18 (2000)
Robinson, R.M.: Undecidability and nonperiodicity for tilings of the plane. Invent. Math. 12, 177–209 (1971)
Roman’kov, V.: On the occurrence problem for rational subsets of a group. In V. Roman’kov (ed.) International Conference on Combinatorial and Computational Methods in Mathematics, pp. 76–81 (1999)
Roman’kov, V.A.: Equations in free metabelian groups. Akad. Nauk SSSR, Sib. Otd., Sib. Mat. Zh. 20(3), 671–673, 694 (1979)
Romanovskiĭ, N.S.: Some algorithmic problems for solvable groups. Algebra Log. 13(1), 26–34 (1974)
Romanovskiĭ, N.S.: The occurrence problem for extensions of abelian groups by nilpotent groups. Sib. Mat. Zh. 21, 170–174 (1980)
Sims, C.: Computation with Finitely Presented Groups. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge (1994)
Umirbaev, U.U.: The occurrence problem for free solvable groups. Sib. Fond Algebry Log., Algebra Log. 34(2), 211–232, 243 (1995)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
The authors would like to acknowledge the support of DFG Mercator program. The second author is also supported by an NSERC grant.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Lohrey, M., Steinberg, B. Tilings and Submonoids of Metabelian Groups. Theory Comput Syst 48, 411–427 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00224-010-9264-9
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00224-010-9264-9