Skip to main content
Log in

Tilings and Submonoids of Metabelian Groups

  • Published:
Theory of Computing Systems Aims and scope Submit manuscript

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.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Almeida, J.: Semidirect products of pseudovarieties from the universal algebraist’s point of view. J. Pure Appl. Algebra 60(2), 113–128 (1989)

    Article  MATH  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  2. 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)

    Google Scholar 

  3. 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)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  4. 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)

    Article  MATH  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  5. Benois, M.: Parties rationnelles du groupe libre. C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris, Sér. A 269, 1188–1190 (1969)

    MATH  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  6. Berger, R.: The undecidability of the domino problem. Mem. Am. Math. Soc. 66, 72 (1966)

    Google Scholar 

  7. Berstel, J.: Transductions and Context–Free Languages. Teubner, Stuttgart (1979)

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  8. Börger, E., Grädel, E., Gurevich, Y.: The Classical Decision Problem. Universitext. Springer, Berlin (2001)

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  9. Brown, K.: Cohomology of Groups. Springer, Berlin (1994)

    Google Scholar 

  10. Eilenberg, S., Schützenberger, M.P.: Rational sets in commutative monoids. J. Algebra 13, 173–191 (1969)

    Article  MATH  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  11. Garey, M.R., Johnson, D.S.: Computers and Intractability: A Guide to the Theory of NP-completeness. Freeman, New York (1979)

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  12. 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)

    Google Scholar 

  13. Kambites, M., Silva, P.V., Steinberg, B.: On the rational subset problem for groups. J. Algebra 309(2), 622–639 (2007)

    Article  MATH  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  14. Lohrey, M., Steinberg, B.: The submonoid and rational subset membership problems for graph groups. J. Algebra 320(2), 728–755 (2008)

    Article  MATH  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  15. 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

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  16. 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)

    Google Scholar 

  17. 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)

    Google Scholar 

  18. 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

  19. Nedbaj, M.: The occurrence problem in a rational subset of the free product of groups. Vestn. Omsk. Univ. 2000(2), 17–18 (2000)

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  20. Robinson, R.M.: Undecidability and nonperiodicity for tilings of the plane. Invent. Math. 12, 177–209 (1971)

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  21. 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)

  22. Roman’kov, V.A.: Equations in free metabelian groups. Akad. Nauk SSSR, Sib. Otd., Sib. Mat. Zh. 20(3), 671–673, 694 (1979)

    MATH  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  23. Romanovskiĭ, N.S.: Some algorithmic problems for solvable groups. Algebra Log. 13(1), 26–34 (1974)

    Google Scholar 

  24. Romanovskiĭ, N.S.: The occurrence problem for extensions of abelian groups by nilpotent groups. Sib. Mat. Zh. 21, 170–174 (1980)

    Google Scholar 

  25. Sims, C.: Computation with Finitely Presented Groups. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge (1994)

    Book  MATH  Google Scholar 

  26. Umirbaev, U.U.: The occurrence problem for free solvable groups. Sib. Fond Algebry Log., Algebra Log. 34(2), 211–232, 243 (1995)

    MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Markus Lohrey.

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

Reprints 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

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00224-010-9264-9

Keywords

Navigation