Paper detail

Determining Fuchsian groups by their finite quotients

Let $\C(Γ)$ be the set of isomorphism classes of the finite groups that are homomorphic images of $Γ$. We investigate the extent to which $\C(Γ)$ determines $Γ$ when $Γ$ is a group of geometric interest. If $Γ_1$ is a lattice in ${\rm{PSL}}(2,\R)$ and $Γ_2$ is a lattice in any connected Lie group, then $\C(Γ_1) = \C(Γ_2)$ implies that $Γ_1$ is isomorphic to $Γ_2$. If $F$ is a free group and $Γ$ is a right-angled Artin group or a residually free group (with one extra condition), then $\C(F)=\C(Γ)$ implies that $F\congΓ$. If $Γ_1<{\rm{PSL}}(2,\Bbb C)$ and $Γ_2< G$ are non-uniform arithmetic lattices, where $G$ is a semi-simple Lie group with trivial centre and no compact factors, then $\C(Γ_1)= \C(Γ_2)$ implies that $G \cong {\rm{PSL}}(2,\Bbb C)$ and that $Γ_2$ belongs to one of finitely many commensurability classes. These results are proved using the theory of profinite groups; we do not exhibit explicit finite quotients that distinguish among the groups in question. But in the special case of two non-isomorphic triangle groups, we give an explicit description of finite quotients that distinguish between them.