GROUPS WITH FINITELY MANY CONJUGACY CLASSES AND
THEIR AUTOMORPHISMS
ASHOT MINASYAN
Abstract. We combine classical methods of combinatorial group theory with
the theory of small cancellation over relatively hyperbolic groups to construct
finitely generated torsion-free groups that have only finitely many classes of
conjugate elements. Moreover, we present several results concerning embed-
dings into such groups.
As another application of these techniques, we prove that every countable
group C can be realized as a group of outer automorphisms of a group N ,
where N is a finitely generated group having Kazhdan’s property (T) and
containing exactly two conjugacy classes.
1. Introduction
We shall start with
Definition. Suppose that n ≥ 2 is an integer. We will say that a group M has the
property (nCC) if there are exactly n conjugacy classes of elements in M .
Note that a group M has (2CC) if and only if any two non-trivial elements are
conjugate in M . For two elements x, y of some group G, we shall write x
∼ y if x
and y are conjugate in G, and x
≁ y if they are not.
For a group G, denote by π(G) the set of all finite orders of elements of G. A
classical theorem of G. Higman, B. Neumann and H. Neumann ([8]) states that
every countable group G can be embedded into a countable (but infinitely gen-
erated) group M , where any two elements of the same order are conjugate and
π(M) = π(G).
For any integer n ≥ 2, take G = Z/2n−2Z and embed G into a countable group
M according to the theorem above. Then card(π(M)) = card(π(G)) = n − 1.
Since, in addition, M will always contain an element of infinite order, the theorem
of Higman-Neumann-Neumann implies that G has (nCC).
Another way to construct infinite groups with finitely many conjugacy classes
was suggested by S. Ivanov [15, Thm. 41.2], who showed for every sufficiently large
prime p there is an infinite 2-generated groupMp of exponent p possessing exactly p
conjugacy classes. The groupMp is constructed as a direct limit of word hyperbolic
groups, and, as noted in [21], it is impossible to obtain an infinite group with (2CC)
in the same manner.
In the recent paper [21] D. Osin developed a theory of small cancellation over
relatively hyperbolic groups and used it to obtain the following remarkable result:
2000 Mathematics Subject Classification. 20F65, 20E45, 20F28.
Key words and phrases. Conjugacy Classes, Relatively Hyperbolic Groups, Outer Automor-
phism Groups.
This work was supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation Grant ♯ PP002-68627.
http://arxiv.org/abs/0704.0091v2
2 ASHOT MINASYAN
Theorem 1.1 ([21], Thm. 1.1). Any countable group G can be embedded into a
2-generated group M such that any two elements of the same order are conjugate
in M and π(M) = π(G).
Applying this theorem to the group G = Z/2n−2Z one can show that for each
integer n ≥ 2 there exists a 2-generated group with (nCC). And when n = 2 we
get a 2-generated torsion-free group that has exactly two conjugacy classes.
The presence of elements of finite orders in the above constructions was impor-
tant, because if two elements have different orders, they can never be conjugate.
So, naturally, one can ask the following
Question 1. Do there exist torsion-free (finitely generated) groups with (nCC),
for any integer n ≥ 3?
Note that if G is the finitely generated group with (2CC) constructed by Osin,
then the m-th direct power Gm of G is also a finitely generated torsion-free group
which satisfies (2mCC). But what if we want to achieve a torsion-free group with
(3CC)? With this purpose one could come up with
Question 2. Suppose that G is a countable torsion-free group and x, y ∈ G are
non-conjugate. Is it possible to embed G into a groupM , which has (3CC), so that
x and y stay non-conjugate in M?
Unfortunately, the answer to Question 2 is negative as the following example
shows.
Example 1. Consider the group
(1.1) G1 = 〈a, t ‖ tat
−1 = a−1〉
which is isomorphic to the non-trivial semidirect product Z ⋊ Z. Note that G1 is
torsion-free, and t is not conjugated to t−1 in G1 because t ≁ t
−1 in the infinite
cyclic group 〈t〉 which is canonically isomorphic to the quotient of G1 by the normal
closure of a. However, if G1 is embedded into a (3CC)-group M , it is easy to see
that every element of M will be conjugated to its inverse (indeed, if y ∈ M \ {1}
and y
≁ y−1 then yǫ
∼ a−1, for some ǫ ∈ {1,−1}, hence yǫ
∼ y−ǫ – a
contradiction). In particular, t
∼ t−1.
An analog of the above example can be given for each n ≥ 3 – see Section 3. This
example shows that, in order to get a positive result, one would have to strengthen
the assumptions of Question 2.
Let G be a group. Two elements x, y ∈ G are said to be commensurable if there
exist k, l ∈ Z \ {0} such that xk is conjugate to yl. We will use the notation x
if x and y are commensurable in G. In the case when x is not commensurable with
y we will write x
6≈ y. Observe that commensurability, as well as conjugacy, defines
an equivalence relation on the set of elements of G. It is somewhat surprising that
if one replaces the words ”non-conjugate” with the words ”non-commensurable” in
Question 2, the answer becomes positive:
Corollary 1.2. Assume that G is a countable torsion-free group, n ∈ N, n ≥ 2,
and x1, . . . , xn−1 ∈ G \ {1} are pairwise non-commensurable. Then there exists a
group M and an injective homomorphism ϕ : G→M such that
1. M is torsion-free and generated by two elements;
GROUPS WITH FINITELY MANY CONJUGACY CLASSES 3
2. M has (nCC);
3. M is 2-boundedly simple;
4. the elements ϕ(x1), . . . , ϕ(xn−1) are pairwise non-commensurable in M .
Recall that a group G is said to be k-boundedly simple if for any x, y ∈ G \ {1}
there exist l ≤ k and g1, . . . , gl ∈ G such that x = g1yg
1 · · · glyg
l in G. A group
is called boundedly simple if it is k-boundedly simple for some k ∈ N. Evidently
every boundedly simple group is simple; the converse is not true in general. For
example, the infinite alternating group A∞ is simple but not boundedly simple
because conjugation preserves the type of the decomposition of a permutation into
a product of cycles. First examples of torsion-free finitely generated boundedly
simple groups were constructed by A. Muranov (see [12, Thm. 2], [13, Thm. 1]).
Corollary 1.2 is an immediate consequence of a more general Theorem 3.5 that
will be proved in Section 3.
Applying Corollary 1.2 to the group G = F (x1, . . . , xn−1), which is free on the
set {x1, . . . , xn−1}, and its non-commensurable elements x1, . . . , xn−1, we obtain a
positive answer to Question 1:
Corollary 1.3. For every integer n ≥ 3 there exists a torsion-free 2-boundedly
simple group satisfying (nCC) and generated by two elements.
(In the case when n = 2 the above statement was obtained by Osin in [21,
Cor. 1.3].) In fact, for any (finitely generated) torsion-free group H we can set
G = H ∗ F (x1, . . . , xn−1), and then use Corollary 1.2 to embed G into a group M
enjoying the properties 1− 4 from its claim. Since there is a continuum of pairwise
non-isomorphic 2-generated torsion-free groups ([4]), and a finitely generated group
can contain at most countably many of different 2-generated subgroups, this shows
that there must be continually many pairwise non-isomorphic groups satisfying
properties 1− 3 from Corollary 1.2.
Recall that the rank rank(G) of a group G is the minimal number of elements re-
quired to generate G. In Section 4 we show how classical theory of HNN-extensions
allows to construct different embeddings into (infinitely generated) groups that have
finitely many classes of conjugate elements, and in Section 5 we use Osin’s results
(from [21]) regarding quotients of relatively hyperbolic groups to prove
Theorem 1.4. Let H be a torsion-free countable group and let M ⊳H be a non-
trivial normal subgroup. Then H can be isomorphically embedded into a torsion-free
group Q, possessing a normal subgroup N ⊳Q, such that
• Q = H ·N and H ∩N =M (hence Q/N ∼= H/M);
• N has (2CC);
• ∀ x, y ∈ Q \ {1}, x
∼ y if and only if ϕ(x)
∼ ϕ(y), where ϕ : Q → Q/N
is the natural homomorphism;
• rank(N) = 2 and rank(Q) ≤ rank(H/M) + 2.
This theorem implies that if Q/N ∼= H/M has exactly (n− 1) conjugacy classes
(e.g., if it is finite), then the group Q will have (nCC) and will not be simple
(if n ≥ 3). Thus it may be used to build (nCC)-groups in a recursive manner.
It also allows to obtain embeddings of countable torsion-free groups into (nCC)-
groups, which we could not get by using Corollary 1.2. For instance, as we saw in
Example 1, the fundamental group of the Klein bottle G1, given by (1.1), can not
be embedded into a (3CC)-group M so that t
≁ t−1. However, with 4 conjugacy
4 ASHOT MINASYAN
classes this is already possible: see Corollary 5.5 in Section 5. The idea is as
follows: the group G1 can be mapped onto Z/3Z in such a way that the images of
the elements t and t−1 are distinct. Let M be the kernel of this homomorphism.
One can apply Theorem 1.4 to the pair (G1,M) to obtain the required embedding
of G1 into a group Q. And since Z/3Z has exactly 3 conjugacy classes, the group
Q will have (4CC).
An application of Theorem 1.4 to the case when H = Z and M = 2Z⊳H also
provides an affirmative answer to a question of A. Izosov from [9, Q. 11.42], asking
whether there exists a torsion-free (3CC)-group Q that contains a normal subgroup
N of index 2.
The goal of the second part of this article is to show that every countable group
can be realized as a group of outer automorphisms of some finitely generated (2CC)-
group. This problem has some historical background: in [11] T. Matumoto proved
that every group is a group of outer automorphisms of some group (in contrast,
there are groups, e.g., Z, that are not full automorphism groups of any group); M.
Droste, M. Giraudet, R. Göbel ([7]) showed that for every group C there exists
a simple group S such that Out(S) ∼= C; I. Bumagina and D. Wise in [3] proved
that each countable group C is isomorphic to Out(N) where N is a 2-generated
subgroup of a countable C′(1/6)-group, and if, in addition, C is finitely presented
then one can choose N to be residually finite.
In Section 6 we establish a few useful statements regarding paths in the Cayley
graph of a relatively hyperbolic group G, and apply them in Section 7 to obtain
small cancellation quotients of G satisfying certain conditions. Finally, in Section
8 we prove the following
Theorem 1.5. Let C be an arbitrary countable group. Then for every non-elemen-
tary torsion-free word hyperbolic group F1 there exists a torsion-free group N sat-
isfying the following properties:
• N is a 2-generated quotient of F1;
• N has (2CC);
• Out(N) ∼= C.
The principal difference between this theorem and the result of [3] is that our
group N is torsion-free and simple. Moreover, if one applies Theorem 1.5 to the
case when F1 is a torsion-free hyperbolic group with Kazhdan’s property (T) (and
recalls that every quotient of a group with property (T) also has (T)), one will get
Corollary 1.6. For any countable group C there is a 2-generated group N such
that N has (2CC) and Kazhdan’s property (T), and Out(N) ∼= C.
The reason why Kazhdan’s property (T) is interesting in this context is the
question from [6, p. 134] which asked whether there exist groups that satisfy
property (T) and have infinite outer automorphism groups (it can be motivated
by a theorem of F. Paulin [22] which claims that the outer automorphism group is
finite for any word hyperbolic group with property (T)). Positive answers to this
question were obtained (using different methods) by Y. Ollivier and D. Wise [14],
Y. de Cornulier [5], and I. Belegradek and D. Osin [2]. Corollary 1.6 not only
shows that the group of outer automorphisms of a group N with property (T)
can be infinite, but also demonstrates that there are no restrictions whatsoever on
Out(N).
GROUPS WITH FINITELY MANY CONJUGACY CLASSES 5
Acknowledgements. The author would like to thank D. Osin for fruitful dis-
cussions and encouragement.
2. Relatively hyperbolic groups
Assume that G is a group, {Hλ}λ∈Λ is a fixed collection of subgroups of G (called
peripheral subgroups), and X is a subset of G. The subset X is called a relative
generating set of G with respect to {Hλ}λ∈Λ if G is generated by X ∪
λ∈ΛHλ. In
this case G a quotient of the free product
F = (∗λ∈ΛHλ) ∗ F (X ),
where F (X ) is the free group with basis X . Let R be a subset of F such that the
kernel of the natural epimorphism F → G is the normal closure of R in the group
F ; then we will say that G has relative presentation
(2.1) 〈X , {Hλ}λ∈Λ ‖ R = 1, R ∈ R〉.
If the sets X and R are finite, the relative presentation (2.1) is said to be finite.
Set H =
λ∈Λ(Hλ \ {1}). A finite relative presentation (2.1) is said to satisfy a
linear relative isoperimetric inequality if there exists C > 0 such that, for every word
w in the alphabet X ∪H (for convenience, we will further assume that X−1 = X )
representing the identity in the group G, one has
f−1i R
i fi,
with equality in the group F , where Ri ∈ R, fi ∈ F , for i = 1, . . . , k, and k ≤ C‖w‖,
where ‖w‖ is the length of the word w.
The next definition is due to Osin (see [20]):
Definition. the group G is called hyperbolic relative to (the collection of peripheral
subgroups) {Hλ}λ∈Λ, if G admits a finite relative presentation (2.1) satisfying a
linear relative isoperimetric inequality.
This definition is independent of the choice of the finite generating set X and
the finite set R in (2.1) (see [20]). We would also like to note that, in general, it
does not require the group G to be finitely generated, which will be important in
this paper. The definition immediately implies the following basic facts:
Remark 2.1 ([20]). (a) Let {Hλ}λ∈Λ be an arbitrary family of groups. Then the
free product G = ∗λ∈ΛHλ will be hyperbolic relative to {Hλ}λ∈Λ.
(b) Any word hyperbolic group (in the sense of Gromov) is hyperbolic relative
to the family {{1}}, where {1} denotes the trivial subgroup.
Recall that a group H is called elementary if it has a cyclic subgroup of finite
index. Further in this section we will assume that G is a non-elementary group
hyperbolic relative to a family of proper subgroups {Hλ}λ∈Λ.
An element g ∈ G is said to be parabolic if it is conjugated to an element of Hλ
for some λ ∈ Λ. Otherwise g is said to be hyperbolic. Given a subgroup S ≤ G, we
denote by S0 the set of all hyperbolic elements of S of infinite order.
Lemma 2.2 ([17], Thm. 4.3, Cor. 1.7). For every g ∈ G0 the following conditions
hold.
6 ASHOT MINASYAN
1) The element g is contained in a unique maximal elementary subgroup EG(g)
of G, where
(2.2) EG(g) = {f ∈ G : fg
nf−1 = g±n for some n ∈ N}.
2) The group G is hyperbolic relative to the collection {Hλ}λ∈Λ ∪ {EG(g)}.
Recall that a non-trivial subgroup H ≤ G is called malnormal if for every g ∈
G \H , H ∩ gHg−1 = {1}. The next lemma is a special case of Theorem 1.4 from
[20]:
Lemma 2.3. For any λ ∈ Λ and any g /∈ Hλ, the intersection Hλ ∩ gHλg
−1 is
finite. If h ∈ G, µ ∈ Λ and µ 6= λ, then the intersection Hλ ∩ hHµh
−1 is finite. In
particular, if G is torsion-free then Hλ is malnormal (provided that Hλ 6= {1}).
Lemma 2.4 ([20], Thm. 2.40). Suppose that a group G is hyperbolic relative
to a collection of subgroups {Hλ}λ∈Λ ∪ {S1, . . . , Sm}, where S1, . . . , Sm are word
hyperbolic (in the ordinary non-relative sense). Then G is hyperbolic relative to
{Hλ}λ∈Λ.
Lemma 2.5 ([19], Cor. 1.4). Let G be a group which is hyperbolic relative to a
collection of subgroups {Hλ}λ∈Λ ∪ {K}. Suppose that K is finitely generated and
there is a monomorphism α : K → Hν for some ν ∈ Λ. Then the HNN-extension
〈G, t ‖ txt−1 = α(x), x ∈ K〉 is hyperbolic with respect to {Hλ}λ∈Λ.
In [21] Osin introduced the following notion: a subgroup S ≤ G is suitable if
there exist two elements g1, g2 ∈ S
0 such that g1
6≈ g2 and EG(g1)∩EG(g2) = {1}.
For any S ≤ G with S0 6= ∅, one sets
(2.3) EG(S) =
EG(g)
which is obviously a subgroup of G normalized by S. Note that EG(S) = {1} if the
subgroup S is suitable in G. As shown in [1, Lemma 3.3], if S is non-elementary
and S0 6= ∅ then EG(S) is the unique maximal finite subgroup of G normalized by
Lemma 2.6. Let {H}λ∈Λ be a family of groups and let F be a torsion-free non-
elementary word hyperbolic group. Then the free product G = (∗λ∈ΛHλ) ∗ F is
hyperbolic relative to {Hλ}λ∈Λ and F is a suitable subgroup of G.
Proof. Indeed, G is hyperbolic relative to {Hλ}λ∈Λ by Remark 2.1 and Lemma
2.4. Since F is non-elementary, there are elements of infinite order x, y ∈ F such
that x
6≈ y (see, for example, [16, Lemma 3.2]). Evidently, x and y are hyperbolic
elements of G that are not commensurable with each other, and the subgroups
EG(x) = EF (x) ≤ F , EG(y) = EF (y) ≤ F are cyclic (as elementary subgroups of a
torsion-free group). Hence EG(x) ∩ EG(y) = {1}, and thus F is suitable in G. �
Lemma 2.7 ([21], Lemma 2.3). Suppose that G is a group hyperbolic relative to a
family of subgroups {Hλ}λ∈Λ and S ≤ G is a suitable subgroup. Then one can find
infinitely many pairwise non-commensurable (in G) elements g1, g2, · · · ∈ S
0 such
that EG(gi) ∩ EG(gj) = {1} for all i 6= j.
The following theorem was proved by Osin in [21] using the theory of small
cancellation over relatively hyperbolic groups, and represents our main tool for
obtaining new quotients of such groups having a number of prescribed properties:
GROUPS WITH FINITELY MANY CONJUGACY CLASSES 7
Theorem 2.8 ([21], Thm. 2.4). Let G be a torsion-free group hyperbolic relative to
a collection of subgroups {Hλ}λ∈Λ, let S be a suitable subgroup of G, and let T, U
be arbitrary finite subsets of G. Then there exist a group G1 and an epimorphism
η : G→ G1 such that:
(i) The restriction of η to
λ∈ΛHλ ∪ U is injective, and the group G1 is hy-
perbolic relative to the collection {η(Hλ)}λ∈Λ;
(ii) for every t ∈ T , we have η(t) ∈ η(S);
(iii) η(S) is a suitable subgroup of G1;
(iv) G1 is torsion-free;
(v) the kernel ker(η) of η is generated (as a normal subgroup of G) by a finite
collection of elements belonging to T · S.
We have slightly changed the original formulation of the above theorem from
[21], demanding the injectivity on V =
λ∈ΛHλ ∪ U (instead of just
λ∈ΛHλ)
and adding the last point concerning the generators of the kernel. The latter
follows from the explicit form of the relations, imposed on G (see the proof of
Thm. 2.4 in [21]), and the former – from part 2 of Lemma 5.1 in [21] and the fact
that any element from V has length (in the alphabet X ∪ H) at most N , where
N = max{|h|X∪H : h ∈ U}+ 1.
3. Groups with finitely many conjugacy classes
Lemma 3.1. Let G be a group and let x1, x2, x3, x4 ∈ G be elements of infinite order
such that x1
6≈ xi, i = 2, 3, 4. Let H = 〈G, t ‖ tx3t
−1 = x4〉 be the HNN-extension
of G with associated cyclic subgroups generated by x3 and x4. Then x1
6≈ x2.
Proof. Arguing by contradiction, assume that hxl1h
−1xm2 = 1 for some h ∈ H ,
l,m ∈ Z \ {0}. The element h has a reduced presentation of the form
h = g0t
ǫ1g1t
ǫ2 . . . tǫkgk
where g0, . . . , gk ∈ G, ǫ1, . . . , ǫk ∈ Z \ {0}, and
gj /∈ 〈x3〉 if 1 ≤ j ≤ k − 1 and ǫj > 0, ǫj+1 < 0
gj /∈ 〈x4〉 if 1 ≤ j ≤ k − 1 and ǫj < 0, ǫj+1 > 0
By the assumptions, x1
6≈ x2 hence k ≥ 1, and in the group H we have
(3.1) hxl1h
−1xm2 = g0t
ǫ1g1t
ǫ2 . . . tǫkgkx
−ǫk . . . t−ǫ2g−11 t
−ǫ1 g̃0 = 1,
where g̃0 = g
2 ∈ G. By Britton’s Lemma (see [10, IV.2]), the left hand side
in (3.1) can not be reduced, and this can happen only if gkx
k belongs to either
〈x3〉 or 〈x4〉 in G, which would contradict the assumptions. Thus the lemma is
proved. �
Definition. Suppose that G is a group and Xi ⊂ G, i ∈ I, is a family of subsets.
We shall say that Xi, i ∈ I, are independent if no element of Xi is commensurable
with an element of Xj whenever i 6= j, i, j ∈ I.
Lemma 3.2. Assume that G is a countable torsion-free group, n ∈ N, n ≥ 2, and
non-empty subsets Xi ⊂ G \ {1}, i = 1, . . . , n− 1, are independent in G. Then G
can be (isomorphically) embedded into a countable torsion-free group M in such a
way that M has (nCC) and the subsets Xi, i = 1, . . . , n− 1, remain independent in
8 ASHOT MINASYAN
Proof. For each i = 1, . . . , n− 1, fix an element xi ∈ Xi. First we embed G into a
countable torsion-free group G1 such that for each non-trivial element g ∈ G there
exist j ∈ {1, . . . , n− 1} and t ∈ G1 satisfying tgt
−1 = xj in G1, and the subsets Xi,
i = 1, . . . , n− 1, stay independent in G1.
Let g1, g2, . . . be an enumeration of all non-trivial elements of G. Set G(0) = G
and suppose that we have already constructed the group G(k), containing G, so
that for each l ∈ {1, . . . , k} there is j ∈ {1, . . . , n− 1} such that the element gl is
conjugated in G(k) to xj , and Xi, i = 1, . . . , n− 1, are independent in G(k).
Suppose, at first, that gk+1 is commensurable in G(k) with an element of Xj
for some j. Then gk+1
6≈ h for every h ∈
i=1,i6=j
Xi. Define G(k + 1) to be the
HNN-extension 〈G(k), tk+1 ‖ tk+1gk+1t
k+1 = xj〉. By Lemma 3.1 the subsets Xi,
i = 1, . . . , n− 1, will remain independent in G(k + 1).
Thus we can assume that gk+1 is not commensurable with any element from
i=1 Xi in G(k). According to the induction hypotheses one can apply Lemma 3.1
to the HNN-extension
G(k + 1) = 〈G(k), tk+1 ‖ tk+1gk+1t
k+1 = x1〉
to see that the subsets Xi ⊂ G ≤ G(k + 1), i = 1, . . . , n − 1, are independent in
G(k + 1).
Now, setG1 =
k=0G(k). EvidentlyG1 has the required properties. In the same
manner, one can embed G1 into a countable torsion-free group G2 so that each non-
trivial element of G1 will be conjugated to xi in G2, for some i ∈ {1, . . . , n − 1},
and the subsets Xi, i = 1, . . . , n− 1, continue to be independent in G2.
Proceeding like that we obtain the desired groupM =
s=1Gs. By the construc-
tion, M is a torsion-free countable group which has exactly n conjugacy classes:
[1], [x1], . . . , [xn−1]. The subsets Xi, i = 1, . . . , n− 1, are independent in M because
they are independent in Gs for each s ∈ N. �
Corollary 3.3. In Lemma 3.2 one can add that the groupM is 2-boundedly simple.
Proof. Let a torsion-free countable group G and its non-empty independent subsets
Xi, i = 1, . . . , n− 1, be as in Lemma 3.2. Let F = F (a1, . . . , an−1, b1, . . . , bn−1) be
the free group with the free generating set {a1, . . . , an−1, b1, . . . , bn−1}, and consider
the group Ḡ = G ∗ F . For each i = 1, . . . , n− 1, define
X̄i = Xi ∪ {ai, a
i } ∪ {[aj, bi] | j = 1, . . . , n− 1, j 6= i} ⊂ Ḡ,
where [aj , bi] = ajbia
i . Using the universal properties of free groups and free
products one can easily see that the subsets X̄i, i = 1, . . . , n− 1, are independent
in Ḡ.
Now we apply Lemma 3.2 to find a countable torsion-free (nCC)-group M , con-
taining Ḡ, such that X̄i, i = 1, . . . , n− 1, are independent in M . Observe that this
implies that for any given i = 1, . . . , n− 1, any two elements of X̄i are conjugate in
M . For arbitrary x, y ∈ M \ {1} there exist i, j ∈ {1, . . . , n − 1} such that x
and y
∼ aj . If i = j then x
∼ y. Otherwise, y
∼ a−1j and x
∼ [aj , bi] which
is a product of two conjugates of aj , and, hence, of y. Therefore the group M is
2-boundedly simple, and since G ≤ Ḡ ≤M , the corollary is proved. �
GROUPS WITH FINITELY MANY CONJUGACY CLASSES 9
Below is a particular (torsion-free) case of a theorem proved by Osin in [21, Thm.
2.6]:
Lemma 3.4. Any countable torsion-free group S can be embedded into a 2-generated
group M so that S is malnormal in M and every element of M is conjugated to an
element of S in M .
Proof. Following Osin’s proof of Theorem 2.6 from [21], we see that the required
group M can be constructed as an inductive limit of relatively hyperbolic groups
G(i), i ∈ N. More precisely, one sets G(0) = S ∗ F2, where F2 is a free group of
rank 2, ξ0 = idG(0) : G(0) → G(0), and for each i ∈ N one constructs a group
G(i) and an epimorphism ξi : G(0) → G(i) so that ξi is injective on S, G(i) is
torsion-free and hyperbolic relative to {ξi(S)}, and ξi factors through ξi−1. The
group M is defined to be the direct limit of (G(i), ξi) as i → ∞, i.e., Q = G(0)/N
where N =
i∈N ker(ξi). By Lemma 2.3, ξi(S) is malnormal in G(i), hence the
image of S will also be malnormal in M . �
Theorem 3.5. Let G be a torsion-free countable group, n ∈ N, n ≥ 2, and non-
empty subsets Xi ⊂ G \ {1}, i = 1, . . . , n − 1, be independent in G. Then G can
be embedded into a 2-generated torsion-free group M which has (nCC), so that the
subsets Xi, i = 1, . . . , n− 1, stay independent in M . Moreover, one can choose M
to be 2-boundedly simple.
Proof. First, according to Corollary 3.3, we can embed the groupG into a countable
torsion-free group S such that S has (nCC) and is 2-boundedly simple, and Xi,
i = 1, . . . , n − 1, are independent in S. Second, we apply Lemma 3.4 to find the
2-generated group M from its claim. Choose any i, j ∈ {1, . . . , n − 1}, i 6= j, and
x ∈ Xi, y ∈ Xj. If x and y were commensurable inM , the malnormality of S would
imply that x and y must be commensurable in S, contradicting the construction.
Hence Xi, i = 1, . . . , n − 1, are independent in M . Since each element of M is
conjugated to an element of S, it is evident that M has (nCC), is torsion-free and
2-boundedly simple. �
Remark 3.6. A more direct proof of Theorem 3.5, not using Lemma 3.4, can be
extracted from the proof of Theorem 5.1 (see Section 5), applied to the case when
H =M .
It is easy to see that Theorem 3.5 immediately implies Corollary 1.2 that was
formulated in the Introduction. As promised, we now give a counterexample to
Question 2 (formulated in the Introduction) for any n ≥ 3.
Example 2. Let G2 = 〈a, t ‖ tat
−1 = a2〉 be the Baumslag-Solitar BS(1, 2)-group.
ThenG2 is torsion-free, and the elements t
2, t4, . . . , t2
are pairwise non-conjugate
in G2 (since this holds in the quotient of G2 by the normal closure of a). Suppose
that G2 is embedded into a group M having (nCC) so that t
2, t4, . . . , t2
pairwise non-conjugate in M . Then t2, . . . , t2
is the list of representatives of all
non-trivial conjugacy classes of M . Therefore there exist k, l ∈ {1, . . . , n− 1} such
that t
and a
. Consequently
and t2
hence k = l = n− 1 according to the assumptions. But this yields
n−1 M
∼ t2,
10 ASHOT MINASYAN
implying that t2
∼ t4, which contradicts our assumptions.
Thus G2 can not be embedded into a (nCC)-group M in such a way that
t2, . . . , t2
remain pairwise non-conjugate in M .
4. Normal subgroups with (nCC)
If M is a normal subgroup of a group H , then H naturally acts on M by con-
jugation. We shall say that this action preserves the conjugacy classes of M if for
any h ∈ H and a ∈M there exists b ∈M such that hah−1 = bab−1.
Lemma 4.1. Let G be a torsion-free group, N ⊳ G and x1, . . . , xl ∈ N \ {1}
be pairwise non-commensurable (in G) elements. Then there exists a partition
N \ {1} =
k=1Xk of N \ {1} into a (disjoint) union of G-independent subsets
X1, . . . , Xl such that xk ∈ Xk for every k ∈ {1, . . . , l}. Moreover, each subset Xk
will be invariant under conjugation by elements of G.
Proof. Since
≈ is an equivalence relation on G\{1}, one can find the corresponding
decomposition: G \ {1} =
j∈J Yj , where Yj is an equivalence class for each j ∈ J .
For each k = 1, . . . , l, there exists j(k) ∈ J such that xk ∈ Yj(k). Note that
j(k) 6= j(m) if k 6= m since xk
6≈ xm.
Denote J ′ = J \ {j(1), . . . , j(l − 1)},
X1 = Yj(1) ∩N, . . . , Xl−1 = Yj(l−1) ∩N, and Xl =
Yj ∩N.
EvidentlyN\{1} =
k=1Xk, X1, . . . , Xl are independent subsets of G and xk ∈ Xk
for each k = 1, . . . , l. The final property follows from the construction since for any
a ∈ G and j ∈ J we have aYja
−1 = Yj and aNa
−1 = N . �
Lemma 4.2. For every countable group C and each n ∈ N, n ≥ 2, there exists a
countable torsion-free group H having a normal subgroup M ⊳H such that
(i) M satisfies (nCC);
(ii) M is 2-boundedly simple;
(iii) the natural action of H on M preserves the conjugacy classes of M ;
(iv) H/M ∼= C.
Proof. Let H ′0 be the free group of infinite countable rank. Choose N
0 so that
H ′0/N
∼= C. Let F = F (x1, . . . , xn−1) denote the free group freely generated by
x1, . . . , xn−1. Define H0 = H
0 ∗ F and let N0 be the normal closure of N
0 ∪ F in
H0. Evidently, H0/N0 ∼= H
∼= C and the elements x1, . . . , xn−1 ∈ N0 \ {1} are
pairwise non-commensurable in H0.
By Lemma 4.1, one can choose a partition of N0 \ {1} into the union of H0-
independent subsets:
N0 \ {1} =
so that xk ∈ X0k for each k = 1, . . . , n− 1.
By Corollary 3.3 there exists a countable torsion-free 2-boundedly simple group
M1 with the property (nCC) containing a copy of N0, such that the subsets X0k,
k = 1, 2, . . . , n − 1, are independent in M1. Denote by H1 = H0 ∗N0 M1 the
amalgamated product of H0 and M1 along N0, and let N1 be the normal closure
GROUPS WITH FINITELY MANY CONJUGACY CLASSES 11
of M1 in H1. Note that H1 is torsion-free as an amalgamated product of two
torsion-free groups ([10, IV.2.7]).
We need to verify that the elements x1, . . . , xn−1 are pairwise non-commen-
surable in H1. Indeed, if a ∈ X0k and b ∈ X0l, k 6= l, are conjugate in H1 then
there must exist y1, . . . , yt ∈ M1 \N0 and z1, . . . , zt−1 ∈ H0 \N0, z0, zt ∈ H0 such
z0y1 · · · zt−1ytztaz
t−1 · · · y
Suppose that t is minimal possible with this property. As conjugation by elements
of H0 preserves X0k and X0l, we can assume that z0, zt = 1. Hence
y1z1 · · · zt−1ytay
t−1 · · · z
−1 H1= 1.
By the properties of amalgamated products (see [10, Ch. IV]), the left-hand side
in this equality can not be reduced, consequently ytay
t ∈ N0 \ {1} =
k=1 X0k.
But then ytay
t ∈ X0k by the properties of M1, contradicting the minimality of t.
Thus, we have shown that xk
6≈ xl whenever k 6= l.
Assume that the groupHi = Hi−1∗Ni−1Mi, i ≥ 1, has already been constructed,
so that
0) Hi is countable and torsion-free;
1) Ni−1 ⊳Hi−1;
2) Hi−1 = H0 ·Ni−1 and H0 ∩Ni−1 = N0;
3) Mi satisfies (nCC);
4) x1, . . . , xn−1 are pairwise non-commensurable in Hi.
Let Ni be the normal closure of Mi in Hi. Because of the condition 4) and
Lemma 4.1, one can find a partition of Ni \ {1} into a union of Hi-independent
subsets:
Ni \ {1} =
so that xk ∈ Xik for each k = 1, . . . , n − 1. By Lemma 3.2 there is a countable
group a Mi+1, with (nCC), containing a copy of Ni, in which the subsets Xik,
i = 1, . . . , n− 1, remain independent. Set Hi+1 = Hi ∗Ni Mi+1. Now, it is easy to
verify that the analogs of the conditions 0)-3) hold for Hi+1 and
(4.1) Ni−1 ≤Mi ≤ Ni ≤Mi+1.
The analog of the condition 4) is true in Hi+1 by the same considerations as before
(in the case of H1).
Define the group H =
i=1Hi and its subgroup M =
i=1Ni. Observe that
the condition 0) implies that H is torsion-free, condition 1) implies that M is
normal in H , and 2) implies that H = H0 ·M and H0 ∩M = N0. Hence H/M ∼=
H0/(H0∩M) ∼= C. Applying (4.1) we getM =
i=1Mi, and thus, by the conditions
3), 4) it enjoys the property (nCC): each element of M will be a conjugate of xk
for some k ∈ {1, . . . , n− 1}. Since x1, . . . , xn−1 ∈M1 ≤M and M1 is 2-boundedly
simple, then so will be M . Finally, 4) implies that xk
≁ xl whenever k 6= l,
and, consequently, the natural action of H on M preserves its conjugacy classes.
Q.e.d. �
Lemma 4.3. Suppose that G is a group, N ⊳ G, A,B ≤ G and ϕ : A → B is
an isomorphism such that ϕ(a) ∈ aN (i.e., the canonical images of a and ϕ(a) in
12 ASHOT MINASYAN
G/N coincide) for each a ∈ A. Let L = 〈G, t ‖ tat−1 = ϕ(a), ∀ a ∈ A〉 be the
HNN-extension of G with associated subgroups A and B, and let K be the normal
closure of 〈N, t〉 in L . Then G ∩K = N .
Proof. This statement easily follows from the universal property of HNN-extensions
and is left as an exercise for the reader. �
The next lemma will allow us to construct (nCC)-groups that are not simple:
Lemma 4.4. Assume that H is a torsion-free countable group and M⊳H is a non-
trivial normal subgroup. Then H can be isomorphically embedded into a countable
torsion-free group G possessing a normal subgroup K ⊳G such that
1) G = HK and H ∩K =M ;
2) ∀ x, y ∈ G \ {1}, ϕ(x) = ϕ(y) if and only if ∃ h ∈ K such that x = hyh−1,
where ϕ : G → G/K is the natural homomorphism; in particular, K will
have (2CC);
3) ∀ x, y ∈ G \ {1}, x
∼ y if and only if ϕ(x)
∼ ϕ(y);
Proof. Choose a set of representatives Z ⊂ H of cosets of H modulo M , in such a
way that each coset is represented by a unique element from Z and 1 /∈ Z.
DefineG(0)=H andK(0) =M . Enumerate the elements ofG(0)\{1}: g1, g2, . . . .
First we embed the group G(0) into a countable torsion-free group G1, having a
normal subgroup K1 ⊳G1, such that G1 = HK1, H ∩K1 =M and for every i ≥ 0
there are ti ∈ K1 and zi ∈ Z satisfying tigit
i = zi.
Suppose that the (countable torsion-free) group G(j), j ≥ 0, and K(j) ⊳ G(j),
have already been constructed so that H ≤ G(j), G(j) = HK(j), H ∩K(j) = M
and, if j ≥ 1, then tjgjt
j = zj for some tj ∈ K(j) and zj ∈ Z. The group G(j+1),
containing G(j), is defined as the following HNN-extension:
G(j + 1) = 〈G(j), tj+1 ‖ tj+1gj+1t
j+1 = zj+1〉,
where zj+1 ∈ Z ⊂ H is the unique representative satisfying gj+1 ∈ zj+1K(j) in
G(j). Denote by K(j+1)⊳G(j+1) the normal closure of 〈K(j), tj+1〉 in G(j+1).
Evidently the group G(j + 1) is countable and torsion-free, H ≤ G(j) ≤ G(j + 1),
G(j + 1) = HK(j + 1) and H ∩K(j + 1) = H ∩K(j) =M by Lemma 4.3.
Now, it is easy to verify that the group G1 =
j=0G(j) and its normal subgroup
j=0K(j) enjoy the required properties.
In the same way we can embed G1 into a countable torsion-free group G2, that
has a normal subgroup K2⊳G2, so that G2 = HK2, H∩K2 =M and each element
of G1 \ {1} is conjugated in G2 to a corresponding element of Z. Performing such
a procedure infinitely many times we achieve the group G =
i=1Gi and a normal
subgroup K =
i=1Ki ⊳ G that satisfy the claims 1) and 2) of the lemma. It is
easy to see that the claim 2) implies 3), thus the proof is finished. �
5. Adding finite generation
Theorem 5.1. Assume that H is a countable torsion-free group and M is a non-
trivial normal subgroup of H. Let F be an arbitrary non-elementary torsion-free
word hyperbolic group. Then there exist a countable torsion-free group Q, containing
H, and a normal subgroup N ⊳Q with the following properties:
1. H is malnormal in Q;
2. Q = H ·N and N ∩H =M ;
GROUPS WITH FINITELY MANY CONJUGACY CLASSES 13
3. N is a quotient of F ;
4. the centralizer CQ(N) of N in Q is trivial;
5. for every q ∈ Q there is z ∈ H such that q
Proof. The group Q will be constructed as a direct limit of relatively hyperbolic
groups.
Step 0 . Set G(0) = H ∗F and F (0) = F ; then G(0) is hyperbolic relative to its
subgroupH and F (0) is a suitable subgroup of G(0) by Lemma 2.6. LetN(0)⊳G(0)
be the normal closure of the subgroup 〈M,F 〉 in G(0). Evidently G(0) = H ·N(0)
and H ∩ N(0) = M . Enumerate all the elements of N(0): {g0, g1, g2, . . . }, and of
G(0): {q0, q1, q2, . . . }, in such a way that g0 = q0 = 1.
Steps 0-i . Assume the groups G(j), j = 0, . . . , i, i ≥ 0, have been already
constructed, so that
1◦. for each 1 ≤ j ≤ i there is an epimorphism ψj−1 : G(j−1) → G(j) which is
injective on (the image of) H in G(j − 1). Denote F (j) = ψj−1(F (j − 1)),
N(j) = ψj−1(N(j − 1));
2◦. G(j) is torsion-free and hyperbolic relative to (the image of) H , and F (j) ≤
G(j) is a suitable subgroup, j = 0, . . . , i;
3◦. G(j) = H ·N(j), N(j)⊳G(j) and H ∩N(j) =M , j = 0, . . . , i;
4◦. the natural image ḡj of gj in G(j) belongs to F (j), j = 0, . . . , i;
5◦. there exists zj ∈ H such that q̄j
∼ zj, j = 0, . . . , i, where q̄j is the image
of qj in G(j).
Step i+1 . Let q̂i+1 ∈ G(i), ĝi+1 ∈ N(i) be the images of qi+1 and gi+1 in G(i).
First we construct the group G(i+1/2), its normal subgroup Ki+1 and its element
ti+1 as follows.
If for some f ∈ G(i), f q̂i+1f
−1 = z ∈ H , then set G(i + 1/2) = G(i), Ki+1 =
N(i)⊳G(i + 1/2) and ti+1 = 1.
Otherwise, q̂i+1 is a hyperbolic element of infinite order in G(i). Since G(i) is
torsion-free, the elementary subgroup EG(i)(q̂i+1) is cyclic, thus EG(i)(q̂i+1) = 〈hx〉
for some h ∈ H and x ∈ N(i) (by 3◦), and q̂i+1 = (hx)
m for some m ∈ Z. Now, by
Lemma 2.2, G(i) is hyperbolic relative to {H, 〈hx〉}. Choose y ∈M so that hy 6= 1
and let G(i + 1/2) be the following HNN-extension of G(i):
G(i + 1/2) = 〈G(i), ti+1 ‖ ti+1(hx)t
i+1 = hy〉.
The group G(i+ 1/2) is torsion-free and hyperbolic relative to H by Lemma 2.5.
Let us now verify that the subgroup F (i) is suitable in G(i + 1/2). Indeed,
according to Lemma 2.7, there are two hyperbolic elements f1, f2 ∈ F (i) of infinite
order in G(i) such that fl
6≈ hx, fl
6≈ hy, l = 1, 2, and f1
6≈ f2. Then
G(i+1/2)
6≈ f2 by Lemma 3.1. It remains to check that fl is a hyperbolic element
of G(i + 1/2) for each l = 1, 2. Choose an arbitrary element w ∈ H and observe
that fl
6≈ w (since H is malnormal in G(i) by Lemma 2.3, a non-trivial power of
fl is conjugated to an element of H if and only if fl is conjugated to an element of
H in G(i), but the latter is impossible because fl is hyperbolic in G(i)). Applying
Lemma 3.1 again, we get that fl
G(i+1/2)
6≈ w for any w ∈ H . Hence f1, f2 ∈ F (i) are
hyperbolic elements of infinite order in G(i+1/2). The intersection EG(i+1/2)(f1)∩
14 ASHOT MINASYAN
EG(i+1/2)(f2) must be finite, since these groups are virtually cyclic (by Lemma 2.2),
and f1 is not commensurable with f2 in G(i+1/2). But G(i+ 1/2) is torsion-free,
therefore EG(i+1/2)(f1) ∩EG(i+1/2)(f2) = {1}. Thus F (i) is a suitable subgroup of
G(i+ 1/2).
Lemma 4.3 assures that H ∩Ki+1 =M where Ki+1 ⊳G(i + 1/2) is the normal
closure of 〈N(i), ti+1〉 in G(i + 1/2). Finally, note that
ti+1q̂i+1t
i+1 = ti+1(hx)
mt−1i+1 = (hy)
m = z ∈ H in G(i + 1/2).
Now, that the group G(i+ 1/2) has been constructed, set Ti+1 = {ĝi+1, ti+1} ⊂
Ki+1 and define G(i+ 1) as follows. Since Ti+1 ·F (i) ⊂ Ki+1 ⊳G(i+1/2), we can
apply Theorem 2.8 to find a group G(i+1) and an epimorphism ϕi : G(i+1/2) →
G(i + 1) such that ϕi is injective on H , G(i + 1) is torsion-free and hyperbolic
relative to (the image of) H , {ϕi(ĝi+1), ϕi(ti+1)} ⊂ ϕi(F (i)), ϕi(F (i)) is a suitable
subgroup of G(i + 1), and ker(ϕi) ≤ Ki+1. Denote by ψi the restriction of ϕi on
G(i). Then ψi(G(i)) = ϕi(G(i)) = G(i + 1) because G(i + 1/2) was generated by
G(i) and ti+1, and according to the construction, ti+1 ∈ ϕi(F (i)) ≤ ϕi(G(i)). Now,
after defining F (i+1) = ψi(F (i)), N(i+1) = ψi(N(i)), ḡi+1 = ϕi(ĝi+1) ∈ F (i+1)
and zi+1 = ϕi(z) ∈ H , we see that the conditions 1
◦,2◦,4◦ and 5◦ hold in the case
when j = i+1. The properties G(i+1) = H ·N(i+1) and N(i+1)⊳G(i+1) are
immediate consequences of their analogs for G(i) and N(i). Finally, observe that
ϕ−1i (H ∩N(i+ 1)) = H · ker(ϕi) ∩N(i) · ker(ϕi) =
H ∩N(i) · ker(ϕi)
· ker(ϕi)
H ∩Ki+1
· ker(ϕi) =M · ker(ϕi).
Therefore H ∩N(i+ 1) =M and the condition 3◦ holds for G(i + 1).
Let Q = G(∞) be the direct limit of the sequence (G(i), ψi) as i → ∞, and let
F (∞) and N = N(∞) be the limits of the corresponding subgroups. Then Q is
torsion-free by 2◦, N ⊳ Q, Q = H · N and H ∩N = M by 3◦. N ≤ F (∞) by 4◦,
and 5◦ implies the condition 5 from the claim.
Since F (0) ≤ N(0) we get F (∞) ≤ N . Thus N = F (∞) is a homomorphic
image of F (0) = F .
For any i, j ∈ N ∪ {∞}, i < j, we have a natural epimorphism ζij : G(i) → G(j)
such that if i < j < k then ζjk ◦ ζij = ζik. Take any g ∈ G(0). Since F = F (0)
is finitely generated, using the properties of direct limits one can show that if
w = ζ0∞(g) ∈ CQ(F (∞)) in Q, then ζ0j(g) ∈ CG(j)(F (j)) for some j ∈ N. But
CG(j)(F (j)) ≤ EG(j)(F (j)) = {1} (by formulas (2.2) and (2.3)) because F (j) is
a suitable subgroup of G(j), hence w = ζj∞
ζ0j(g)
= 1, that is, CQ(F (∞)) =
CQ(N) = {1}. This concludes the proof. �
The next statement is well-known:
Lemma 5.2. Assume G is a group and N ⊳ G is a normal subgroup such that
CG(N) ⊆ N , where CG(N) is the centralizer of N in G. Then the quotient-group
G/N embeds into the outer automorphism group Out(N).
Proof. The action of G on N by conjugation induces a natural homomorphism
ϕ from G to the automorphism group Aut(N) of N . Since ϕ(N) is exactly the
group of inner automorphisms Inn(N) of N , one can define a new homomorphism
ϕ̄ : G/N → Out(N) = Aut(N)/Inn(N) in the natural way: ϕ̄(gN) = ϕ(g)Inn(N)
for every gN ∈ G/N . It remains to check that ϕ̄ is injective, i.e., if g ∈ G \N then
ϕ̄(gN) 6= 1 in Out(N); or, equivalently, ϕ(g) /∈ Inn(N). Indeed, otherwise there
GROUPS WITH FINITELY MANY CONJUGACY CLASSES 15
would exist a ∈ N such that ghg−1 = aha−1 for every h ∈ N , thus N 6∋ a−1g ∈
CG(N), contradicting the assumptions. Q.e.d. �
Note that for an arbitrary group N , any subgroup C ≤ Out(N) naturally acts
on the set of conjugacy classes C(N) of the group N .
Theorem 5.3. For any n ∈ N, n ≥ 2, and an arbitrary countable group C, C can
be isomorphically embedded into the outer automorphism group Out(N) of a group
N satisfying the following conditions:
• N is torsion-free;
• N is generated by two elements;
• N has (nCC) and the natural action of C on C(N) is trivial;
• N is 2-boundedly simple.
Proof. By Lemma 4.2 we can find a countable torsion-free group H and its normal
subgroup M enjoying the properties (i)-(iv) from its claim. Now, if F denotes
the free group of rank 2, we can obtain a countable torsion-free group Q together
with its normal subgroup N that satisfy the conditions 1-5 from the statement of
Theorem 5.1.
Then N is torsion-free and generated by two elements (as a quotient of F ).
Condition 2 implies that Q/N ∼= H/M ∼= C and, by 4 and Lemma 5.2, C embeds
into the group Out(N).
Using property 5, for each g ∈ N we can find u ∈ Q and z ∈ H such that
ugu−1 = z ∈ N ∩ H = M . Since Q = HN , there are h ∈ H and x ∈ N
such that u = hx. Since z, h−1zh ∈ M and the action of H on M preserves
the conjugacy classes of M , there is r ∈ M such that rh−1zhr−1 = z, hence
z = rh−1ugu−1(rh−1)−1 = rxgx−1r−1, where v = rx ∈ N . Thus for every g ∈ N
there is v ∈ N such that vgv−1 ∈ M . Evidently, this implies that N is also 2-
boundedly simple. Since M has (nCC), the number of conjugacy classes in N will
be at most n.
Suppose x1, x2 ∈ M and x1
≁ x2. Then x1
≁ x2 (by the property (iii) from
the claim of Lemma 4.2), and since H is malnormal in Q we get x1
≁ x2. Hence
≁ x2, i.e., N also enjoys (nCC).
The fact that the natural action of C on C(N) is trivial follows from the same
property for the action of H on C(M) and the malnormality of H in Q. Q.e.d. �
Now, let us proceed with the
Proof of Theorem 1.4. First we apply Lemma 4.4 to construct a group G and a
normal subgroup K ⊳ G according to its claim. Now, by Theorem 5.1, there is a
groupQ, having a normal subgroupN⊳Q such that G is malnormal in Q, Q = GN ,
G ∩ N = K, rank(N) ≤ 2 (if one takes the free group of rank 2 as F ) and every
element q ∈ Q is conjugated (in Q) to an element of G. By claim 2) of Lemma 4.4,
K has (2CC), and an argument, similar to the one used in the proof of Theorem
5.3, shows that N will also have (2CC). Consequently, rank(N) > 1 because N is
torsion-free, hence rank(N) = 2.
Since G = HK and H ∩ K = M we have Q = HKN = HN and H ∩ N =
H ∩K =M . Since Q/N ∼= H/M and N can be generated by two elements, we can
conclude that rank(Q) ≤ rank(H/M) + 2.
16 ASHOT MINASYAN
Consider arbitrary x, y ∈ Q \ {1} and suppose that ϕ(x)
∼ ϕ(y). By Theorem
5.1, there are w, z ∈ G \ {1} such that x
∼ w and y
∼ z. Therefore ϕ(w)
∼ ϕ(z),
hence the images of w and z in G/K are also conjugate. By claim 3) of Lemma
4.4, w
∼ z, implying x
∼ y. �
Theorem 1.4 provides an alternative way of obtaining torsion-free groups that
have finitely many conjugacy classes: for any countable group C we can choose
a free group H of countable rank and a normal subgroup {1} 6= M ⊳ H so that
H/M ∼= C, and then apply Theorem 1.4 to the pair (H,M) to get
Corollary 5.4. Assume that n ∈ N, n ≥ 2, and C is a countable group that
contains exactly (n− 1) distinct conjugacy classes. Then there exists a torsion-free
group Q and N ⊳Q such that
• Q/N ∼= C;
• N has (2CC) and Q has (nCC);
• rank(N) = 2 and rank(Q) ≤ rank(C) + 2.
Corollary 5.5. The group G1, given by presentation (1.1), can be isomorphically
embedded into a 2-generated torsion-free group Q satisfying (4CC) in such a way
that t
≁ t−1.
Proof. Denote by K the kernel of the homomorphism ϕ : G1 → Z3, for which
ϕ(a) = 0 and ϕ(t) = 1, where Z3 is the group of integers modulo 3. Now, apply
Theorem 1.4 to the pair (G1,K) to find the group Q, containing G1, and the normal
subgroup N ⊳ Q from its claim. Since Q/N ∼= G1/K ∼= Z3 has (3CC), the group
Q will have (4CC). We also have t
≁ t−1 because the images of t and t−1 are not
conjugate in Q/N .
Choose an element q1 ∈ Q \ N . Then q2 = q
1 ∈ N \ {1} and since N is 2-
generated and has (2CC), there is q3 ∈ N such that N = 〈q2, q3〉 in Q. As Q/N
is generated by the image of q1, the group Q will be generated by {q1, q2, q3}, and,
consequently, by {q1, q3}. Q.e.d. �
6. Combinatorics of paths in relatively hyperbolic groups
Let G be a group hyperbolic relative to a family of proper subgroups {Hλ}λ∈Λ,
and let X be a finite symmetrized relative generating set of G. Denote H =
λ∈Λ (Hλ \ {1}).
For a combinatorial path p in the Cayley graph Γ(G,X ∪H) (of G with respect
to X ∪H) p−, p+, L(p), and lab(p) will denote the initial point, the ending point,
the length (that is, the number of edges) and the label of p respectively. p−1 will
be the path obtained from p by following it in the reverse direction. Further, if Ω
is a subset of G and g ∈ 〈Ω〉 ≤ G, then |g|Ω will be used to denote the length of a
shortest word in Ω±1 representing g.
We will be using the following terminology from [20]. Suppose q is a path in
Γ(G,X ∪ H). A subpath p of q is called an Hλ-component for some λ ∈ Λ (or
simply a component) of q, if the label of p is a word in the alphabet Hλ \ {1} and
p is not contained in a bigger subpath of q with this property.
Two components p1, p2 of a path q in Γ(G,X ∪ H) are called connected if they
are Hλ-components for the same λ ∈ Λ and there exists a path c in Γ(G,X ∪ H)
connecting a vertex of p1 to a vertex of p2 such that lab(c) entirely consists of letters
GROUPS WITH FINITELY MANY CONJUGACY CLASSES 17
from Hλ. In algebraic terms this means that all vertices of p1 and p2 belong to the
same coset gHλ for a certain g ∈ G. We can always assume c to have length at
most 1, as every nontrivial element of Hλ is included in the set of generators. An
Hλ-component p of a path q is called isolated if no other Hλ-component of q is
connected to p.
The next statement is a particular case of Lemma 2.27 from [20]; we shall for-
mulate it in a slightly more general form, as it appears in [18, Lemma 2.7]:
Lemma 6.1. Suppose that a group G is hyperbolic relative to a family of subgroups
{Hλ}λ∈Λ. Then there exists a finite subset Ω ⊆ G and a constant K ∈ N such
that the following holds. Let q be a cycle in Γ(G,X ∪H), p1, . . . , pk be a collection
of isolated components of q and g1, . . . , gk be the elements of G represented by
Lab(p1), . . . ,Lab(pk) respectively. Then g1, . . . , gk belong to the subgroup 〈Ω〉 ≤ G
and the word lengths of gi’s with respect to Ω satisfy
|gi|Ω ≤ KL(q).
Definition. Suppose that m ∈ N and Ω is a finite subset of G. Define W(Ω,m) to
be the set of all words W over the alphabet X ∪H that have the following form:
W ≡ x0h0x1h1 . . . xlhlxl+1,
where l ∈ Z, l ≥ −2 (if l = −2 then W is the empty word; if l = −1 then W ≡ x0),
hi and xi are considered as single letters and
1) xi ∈ X ∪{1}, i = 0, . . . , l+1, and for each i = 0, . . . , l, there exists λ(i) ∈ Λ
such that hi ∈ Hλ(i);
2) if λ(i) = λ(i + 1) then xi+1 /∈ Hλ(i) for each i = 0, . . . , l− 1;
3) hi /∈ {h ∈ 〈Ω〉 : |h|Ω ≤ m}, i = 0, . . . , l.
Choose the finite subset Ω ⊂ G and the constant K > 0 according to the claim
of Lemma 6.1.
Recall that a path q in Γ(G,X ∪ H) is said to be without backtracking if all of
its components are isolated.
Lemma 6.2. Let q be a path in the Cayley graph Γ(G,X ∪ H) with Lab(q) ∈
W(Ω,m) and m ≥ 5K. Then q is without backtracking.
Proof. Assume the contrary to the claim. Then one can choose a path q providing
a counterexample of the smallest possible length. Thus if p1, . . . , pl is the (consec-
utive) list of all components of q then l ≥ 2, p1 and pl must be connected Hλ′ -
components, for some λ′ ∈ Λ, the components p2, . . . , pl−1 must be isolated, and q
starts with p1 and ends with pl. Since Lab(q) ∈ W(Ω,m) we have L(q) ≤ 2l− 1.
If l = 2 then the (X ∪ {1})-letter between p1 and p2 would belong to Hλ′
contradicting the property 2) from the definition of W(Ω,m).
Therefore l ≥ 3. Since p1 and pl are connected, there exists a path v in Γ(G,X ∪
H) between (pl)− and (p1)+ with Lab(v) ∈ Hλ′ (thus we can assume that L(v) ≤ 1).
Denote by q̂ the subpath of q starting with (p1)+ and ending with (pl)−. Note that
L(q̂) = L(q)−2 ≤ 2l−3, and p2, . . . , pl−1 is the list of components of q̂, all of which
are isolated. If one of them were connected to v it would imply that it is connected
to p1 contradicting with the minimality of q. Hence the cycle o = q̂v possesses
18 ASHOT MINASYAN
k = l − 2 ≥ 1 isolated components, which represent elements h1, . . . , hk ∈ H.
Consequently, applying Lemma 6.1 one obtains that hi ∈ 〈Ω〉, i = 1, . . . , k, and
|hi|Ω ≤ KL(o) ≤ K(L(q̂) + 1) ≤ K(2l− 2).
By the condition 3) from the definition of W(Ω,m) one has |hi|Ω > m ≥ 5K for
each i = 1, . . . , k. Hence
k · 5K ≤
|hi|Ω ≤ K(2l− 2), or 5 ≤
2l − 2
which contradicts the inequality k ≥ l − 2. Q.e.d. �
Definition. Consider an arbitrary cycle o = rqr′q′ in Γ(G,X ∪ H), where Lab(q)
and Lab(q′) belong to W(Ω,m). Let p be a component of q (or q′). We will say
that p is regular if it is not an isolated component of o. If m ≥ 5K, and hence q and
q′ are without backtracking by Lemma 6.2, this means that p is either connected
to some component of q′ (respectively q), or to a component of r or r′.
Lemma 6.3. In the above notations, suppose that m ≥ 7K and denote C =
max{L(r),L(r′)}. Then
(a) if C ≤ 1 then every component of q or q′ is regular;
(b) if C ≥ 2 then each of q and q′ can have at most 4C components which are
not regular.
(c) if l is the number of components of q, then at least (l− 6C) of components
of q are connected to components of q′; and two distinct components of q
can not be connected to the same component of q′. Similarly for q′.
Proof. Assume the contrary to (a). Then one can choose a cycle o = rqr′q′ with
L(r),L(r′) ≤ 1, having at least one isolated component on q or q′, and such that
L(q) + L(q′) is minimal. Clearly the latter condition implies that each component
of q or q′ is an isolated component of o. Therefore q and q′ together contain k
distinct isolated components of o, representing elements h1, . . . , hk ∈ H, where
k ≥ 1 and k ≥ (L(q) − 1)/2 + (L(q′) − 1)/2. Applying Lemma 6.1 we obtain
hi ∈ 〈Ω〉, i = 1, . . . , k, and
|hi|Ω ≤ KL(o) ≤ K(L(q) + L(q
′) + 2).
Recall that |hi|Ω > m ≥ 7K by the property 3) from the definition of W(Ω,m).
Therefore
i=1 |hi|Ω ≥ k · 7K, implying
L(q′)
L(q)− 1
L(q′)− 1
which yields a contradiction.
Let us prove (b). Suppose that C ≥ 2 and q contains more than 4C isolated
components of o. We shall consider two cases:
Case 1. No component of q is connected to a component of q′. Then a com-
ponent of q or q′ can be regular only if it is connected to a component of r or r′.
Since, by Lemma 6.2, q and q′ are without backtracking, two distinct components
of q or q′ can not be connected to the same component of r (or r′). Hence q and
GROUPS WITH FINITELY MANY CONJUGACY CLASSES 19
q′ together can contain at most 2C regular components. Thus the cycle o has k
isolated components, representing elements h1, . . . , hk ∈ H, where k ≥ 4C > 4 and
k ≥ (L(q)−1)/2+(L(q′)−1)/2−2C. By Lemma 6.1, hi ∈ 〈Ω〉 for each i = 1, . . . , k,
i=1 |hi|Ω ≤ K(L(q) + L(q
′) + 2C). Once again we can use the property 3)
from the definition of W(Ω,m) to achieve
L(q′)
L(q)− 1
L(q′)− 1
− 2C + 1 + 3C
L(q)− 1
L(q′)− 1
≤ 2 +
yielding a contradiction.
Case 2. The path q has at least one component which is connected to a com-
ponent of q′. Let p1, . . . , pl denote the sequence of all components of q. By part
(a), if ps and pt, 1 ≤ s ≤ t ≤ l, are connected to components of q
′, then for any
j, s ≤ j ≤ t, pj is connected to some component of q
′ (because q is without back-
tracking by Lemma 6.2). We can take s (respectively t) to be minimal (respectively
maximal) possible. Consequently p1, . . . , ps−1, pt+1, . . . , pl will contain the set of
all isolated components of o that belong to q, and none of these components will
be connected to a component of q′.
Without loss of generality we may assume that s− 1 ≥ 4C/2 = 2C. Since ps is
connected to some component p′ of q′, there exists a path v in Γ(G,X∪H) satisfying
v− = (ps)−, v+ = p
+, Lab(v) ∈ H ∪ {1}, L(v) ≤ 1. Let q̄ (respectively q̄
′) denote
the subpath of q (respectively q′) from q− to (ps)− (respectively from p
+ to q
Consider a new cycle ō = rq̄vq̄′. Reasoning as before, one can show that ō has k
isolated components, where k ≥ 2C ≥ 4 and k ≥ (L(q̄)−1)/2+(L(q̄′)−1)/2−C−1.
Now, an application of Lemma 6.1 to the cycle ō together with the property 3) from
the definition of W(Ω,m) will lead to a contradiction as before.
By the symmetry, the statement (b) of the lemma also holds for q′.
The claim (c) follows from (b) and the estimate L(r) + L(r′) ≤ 2C because if
two different components p and p̄ of q were connected to the same component of
some path in Γ(G,X ∪H), then p and p̄ would also be connected with each other,
which would contradict Lemma 6.2. �
Lemma 6.4. In the previous notations, let m ≥ 7K, C = max{L(r),L(r′)}, and
let p1, . . . , pl, p
1, . . . , p
l′ be the consecutive lists of the components of q and q
respectively If l ≥ 12max{C, 1} + 2, then there are indices s, t, s′ ∈ N such that
1 ≤ s ≤ 6C + 1, l − 6max{C, 1} ≤ t ≤ l and for every i ∈ {0, 1, . . . , t − s}, the
component ps+i of q is connected to the component p
s′+i of q
Proof. By part (c) of Lemma 6.3, there exists s ≤ 6C +1 such that the component
ps is connected to a component p
s′ for some s
′ ∈ {1, . . . , l′}. Thus there is a path
r1 between (p
s′)+ and (ps)+ with L(r1) ≤ 1. Consider a new cycle o1 = r1q1r
where q1 is the segment of q from (ps)+ to q+ = r
− and q
1 is the segment of q
from q′− = r
+ to (p
s′)+.
Observe that ps+1, . . . , pl is the list of all components of q1 and l−s ≥ l−6C−1 ≥
6max{1, C}+ 1, hence, according to part (c) of Lemma 6.3 applied to o1, there is
t ≥ l − 6max{1, C} > s such that pt is connected to p
t′ by means of a path r
where s′ + 1 ≤ t′ ≤ l′, (r′1)− = (pt)+, (r
1)+ = (p
t′)+ and L(r
1) ≤ 1. Consider
20 ASHOT MINASYAN
s′+i′ p
Figure 1.
the cycle o2 = r1q2r
2 in which q2 and q
2 are the segments of q1 and q
1 from
(ps)+ = (r1)+ to (pt)+ and from (p
t′)+ to (p
s′)+ = (r1)− respectively (Fig. 1).
Note that ps+1, . . . , pt is the list of all components of q2 and p
s′+1, . . . , p
t′ is the
list of all components of q′2
. The cycle o2 satisfies the assumptions of part (a) of
Lemma 6.3, therefore for every i ∈ {1, . . . , t − s} there exists i′ ∈ {1, . . . , t′ − s′}
such that ps+i is connected to p
s′+i′ (ps+i can not be connected to r1 [r
1] because in
this case it would be connected to ps [pt], but q is without backtracking by Lemma
6.2).
It remains to show that i′ = i for every such i. Indeed, if i′ < i for some
i ∈ {1, . . . , t − s} then one can consider the cycle o3 = r1q3r
3, where q3 and
q′3 are segments of q2 and q
2 from (q2)− = (r1)+ to (ps+i)+ and from (p
s′+i′ )+ to
(q′2)+ = (r1)− respectively, and (r
3)− = (q3)+, (r
3)+ = (q
3)−, L(r
3) ≤ 1. According
to part (a) of Lemma 6.3, each of the components ps+1, . . . , ps+i of q3 must be
connected to one of p′s′+1, . . . , p
s′+i′ . Hence, since i
′ < i, two distinct components
of q3 will be connected to the same component of q
, which is impossible by part
(c) of Lemma 6.3.
The inequality i′ > i would lead to a contradiction after an application of a
symmetric argument to q′3. Therefore i
′ = i and the lemma is proved. �
Lemma 6.5. In the above notations, let m ≥ 7K and C = max{L(r),L(r′)}. For
any positive integer d there exists a constant L = L(C, d) ∈ N such that if L(q) ≥ L
then there are d consecutive components ps, . . . , ps+d−1 of q and p
s′ , . . . , p
s′+d−1 of
q′−1, so that ps+i is connected to p
s′+i for each i = 0, . . . , d− 1.
Proof. Choose the constant L so that (L − 1)/2 ≥ 12max{C, 1} + 2 + d. Let
p1, . . . , pl be the consecutive list all components of q. Since Lab(q) ∈ W(Ω,m), we
have l ≥ (L − 1)/2 (due to the form of any word from W(Ω,m)). Thus we can
apply Lemma 6.4 to find indices s, t from its claim. By the choice of s and t, and
the estimate on l, we have t− s ≥ d+ 1, yielding the statement of the lemma. �
Corollary 6.6. Let G be a group hyperbolic relative to a family of proper subgroups
{Hλ}λ∈Λ. Suppose that a ∈ Hλ0 , for some λ0 ∈ Λ, is an element of infinite order,
and x1, x2 ∈ G \ Hλ0 . Then there exists k ∈ N such that g = a
k1x1a
k2x2 is a
hyperbolic element of infinite order in G whenever |k1|, |k2| ≥ k.
GROUPS WITH FINITELY MANY CONJUGACY CLASSES 21
Proof. Without loss of generality we can assume that x1, x2 ∈ X , since relative
hyperbolicity does not depend on the choice of the finite relative generating set
([20, Thm. 2.34]). Choose the finite subset Ω ⊂ G and the constant K ∈ N
according to the claim of Lemma 6.1, and set m = 7K. As the order of a is infinite,
there is k ∈ N such that ak
/∈ {h ∈ 〈Ω〉 : |h|Ω ≤ m} whenever |k
′| ≥ k. Assume
that |k1|, |k2| ≥ k.
Suppose, first, that gl = 1 for some l ∈ N. Consider the cycle o = rqr′q′ in
Γ(G,X ∪ H) where q− = q+ = 1, Lab(q) ≡ (a
k1x1a
k2x2)
l ∈ W(Ω,m) (akj are
considered as single letters from the alphabet X ∪H) and r, r′, q′ are trivial paths
(consisting of a single point). Then, by part (a) of Lemma 6.3, every component of
q must be regular in o, which is impossible since q is without backtracking according
to Lemma 6.2. Hence g has infinite order in G.
Suppose, now, that there exists λ′ ∈ Λ, u ∈ Hλ′ and y ∈ G such that ygy
−1 = u.
Denote C = |y|X∪H. Since element u ∈ G has infinite order, there exists l ∈ N such
that 2l ≥ 6C+2 and ul /∈ {h ∈ 〈Ω〉 : |h|Ω ≤ m}. The equality yg
ly−1u−l = 1 gives
rise to the cycle o = rqr′q′ in Γ(G,X∪H), where r and r′ are paths of length C whose
labels represent y in G, r− = 1, q− = r+ = y, Lab(q) ≡ (a
k1x1a
k2x2)
l ∈ W(Ω,m),
r′− = q+, q
− = r
+ = y(a
k1x1a
k2x2)
ly−1 and Lab(q′) ≡ u−l ∈ W(Ω,m), L(q′) = 1.
By part (c) of Lemma 6.3, at least 2l − 6C ≥ 2 distinct components of q must
be connected to distinct components of q′, which is impossible as q′ has only one
component. The contradiction shows that g must be a hyperbolic element of G. �
Lemma 6.7. Let G be a torsion-free group hyperbolic relative to a family of proper
subgroups {Hλ}λ∈Λ, a ∈ Hλ0 \ {1}, for some λ0 ∈ Λ, and t, u ∈ G \Hλ0 . Suppose
that there exists k̂ ∈ N such that for every k ≥ k̂ the element g1 = a
ktakt−1
is commensurable with g2 = a
kuaku−1 in G. Then there are β, γ ∈ Hλ0 and
ǫ, ξ ∈ {−1, 1} such that u = γtξβ, βaβ−1 = aǫ, γ−1aγ = aǫ.
Proof. Changing the finite relative generating set X of G, if necessary, we can
assume that t, u, t−1, u−1 ∈ X . Let the finite subset Ω ⊂ G and the constant
K ∈ N be chosen according to Lemma 6.1. Define m = 7K and suppose that k is
large enough to satisfy ak /∈ {h ∈ 〈Ω〉 : |h|Ω ≤ m}.
Since g1 and g2 are commensurable, there exist l, l
′ ∈ Z\{0} and y ∈ G such that
ygl2y
−1 = gl
1 . Let C = |y|X∪H, d = 8 and L = L(C, d) be the constant from Lemma
6.5. Without loss of generality, assume that 4l ≥ L. Consider the cycle o = rqr′q′
in Γ(G,X ∪ H) such that r and r′ are paths of length C whose labels represent y
in G, r− = 1, q− = r+ = y, Lab(q) ≡ (a
kuaku−1)l ∈ W(Ω,m), L(q) = 4l, r′− = q+,
q′− = r
+ = yg
−1, Lab(q′) ≡ (aktakt−1)l
∈ W(Ω,m), L(q′) = 4l′.
Now, by Lemma 6.5, there are subpaths q̃ = p1s1p2s2p3s3p4 of q and q̃
4 of q
′−1 such that Lab(pi) ≡ a
k, Lab(p′i) ≡ a
ǫk, i = 1, 2, 3, 4, for
some ǫ ∈ {−1, 1} (which depends on the sign of l′), Lab(s1) ≡ Lab(s3) ≡ u,
Lab(s2) ≡ u
−1, Lab(s′1) ≡ Lab(s
3) ≡ t
ξ, Lab(s′2) ≡ t
−ξ, for some ξ ∈ {−1, 1}, and
pi is connected in Γ(G,X∪H) to p
i for each i = 1, 2, 3, 4. Therefore there exist paths
p̃1, p̃2, p̃3, p̃4 whose labels represent the elements α, β, γ, δ ∈ Hλ0 respectively, such
that (p̃1)− = (p1)+, (p̃1)+ = (p
1)+, (p̃2)− = (p
2)+, (p̃2)+ = (p2)+, (p̃3)− = (p3)−,
(p̃3)+ = (p
3)−, (p̃4)− = (p
4)−, (p̃4)+ = (p4)− (see Fig. 2).
The cycles s−11 p̃1s
2p̃2p
2 , s2p̃3s
p̃2 and s
3 p̃3p
3p̃4 give rise to the fol-
lowing equalities in the group G:
u = αtξaǫkβa−k, u = γtξβ and u = a−kγaǫktξδ.
22 ASHOT MINASYAN
p1 s1 p2 s2 p3 s3 p4
p′1 s
p̃1 p̃2 p̃3 p̃4
ak u ak u−1 ak u
aǫkaǫkaǫk
t−ξtξ tξ
Figure 2.
Consequently, recalling that Hλ0 is malnormal (Lemma 2.3) and that t
ξ /∈ Hλ0 , we
βakβ−1a−ǫk = t−ξγ−1αtξ ∈ Hλ0 ∩ t
−ξHλ0t
ξ = {1}, and
a−ǫkγ−1akγ = tξδβ−1t−ξ ∈ Hλ0 ∩ t
ξHλ0t
−ξ = {1}.
(6.1) βakβ−1 = aǫk and γ−1akγ = aǫk
for some β = β(k), γ = γ(k) ∈ Hλ0 and ǫ = ǫ(k), ξ = ξ(k) ∈ {−1, 1}. Note that
the proof works for any sufficiently large k, therefore we can find two mutually
prime positive integers k, k′ with the above properties such that ǫ(k) = ǫ(k′) = ǫ
and ξ(k) = ξ(k′) = ξ. Denote β′ = β(k′) and γ′ = γ(k′), then γtξβ = u = γ′tξβ′,
implying
γ−1γ′ = tξββ′
t−ξ ∈ Hλ0 ∩ t
ξHλ0t
−ξ = {1}.
Hence β′ = β, γ′ = γ,
(6.2) βak
β−1 = aǫk
and γ−1ak
γ = aǫk
It remains to observe that since k and k′ are mutually prime, the formulas (6.1)
and (6.2) together yield
βaβ−1 = aǫ and γ−1aγ = aǫ,
q.e.d. �
7. Small cancellation over relatively hyperbolic groups
Let G be a group generated by a subset A ⊆ G and let O be the set of all
words in the alphabet A±1, that are trivial in G. Then G has a presentation of the
following form:
(7.1) G = 〈A ‖ O〉.
Given a symmetrized set of words R over the alphabet A, consider the group G1
defined by
(7.2) G1 = 〈A ‖ O ∪R〉 = 〈G ‖ R〉.
During the proof of the main result of this section we use presentations (7.2) (or,
equivalently, the sets of additional relators R) that satisfy the generalized small
cancellation condition C1(ε, µ, λ, c, ρ). In the case of word hyperbolic groups this
condition was suggested by Ol’shanskii in [16], and was afterwards generalized to
relatively hyperbolic groups by Osin in [21]. For the definition and detailed theory
we refer the reader to the paper [21], as we will only use the properties, that were
GROUPS WITH FINITELY MANY CONJUGACY CLASSES 23
already established there. The following observation is an immediate consequence
of the definition:
Remark 7.1. Let the constants εj, µj , λ, c, ρj , j = 1, 2, satisfy 0 < λ ≤ 1, 0 ≤ ε1 ≤
ε2, c ≥ 0, 0 < µ2 ≤ µ1, ρ2 ≥ ρ1 > 0. If the presentation (7.2) enjoys the condition
C1(ε2, µ2, λ, c, ρ2) then it also enjoys the condition C1(ε1, µ1, λ, c, ρ1).
We will also assume that the reader is familiar with the notion of a van Kampen
diagram over the group presentation (7.2) (see [10, Ch. V] or [15, Ch. 4]). Let ∆ be
such a diagram. A cell Π of ∆ is called an R-cell if the label of its boundary contour
∂Π (i.e., the word written on it starting with some vertex in the counter-clockwise
direction) belongs to R.
Consider a simple closed path o = rqr′q′ in a diagram ∆ over the presentation
(7.2), such that q is a subpath of the boundary cycle of an R-cell Π and q′ is a
subpath of ∂∆. Let Γ denote the subdiagram of ∆ bounded by o. Assuming that
Γ has no holes, no R-cells and L(r),L(r′) ≤ ε, it will be called an ε-contiguity
subdiagram of Π to ∂∆. The ratio L(q)/L(∂Π) will be called the contiguity degree
of Π to ∂∆ and denoted (Π,Γ, ∂∆).
A diagram is said to be reduced if it has a minimal number of R-cells among all
the diagrams with the same boundary label.
If G is a group hyperbolic relative to a family of proper subgroups {Hi}i∈I , with
a finite relative generating set X , then G is generated by the set A = X ∪
i∈I(Hi \
{1}), and the Cayley graph Γ(G,A) is a hyperbolic metric space [20, Cor. 2.54].
As for every condition of small cancellation, the main statement of the theory is
the following analogue of Greendlinger’s Lemma, claiming the existence of a cell,
large part of whose contour lies on the boundary of the van Kampen diagram.
Lemma 7.2 ([21], Cor. 4.4). Suppose that the group G is generated by a subset A
such that the Cayley graph Γ(G,A) is hyperbolic. Then for any 0 < λ ≤ 1 there is
µ0 > 0 such that for any µ ∈ (0, µ0] and c ≥ 0 there are ε0 ≥ 0 and ρ0 > 0 with the
following property.
Let the symmetrized presentation (7.2) satisfy the C1(ε0, µ, λ, c, ρ0)-condition.
Further, let ∆ be a reduced van Kampen diagram over G1 whose boundary contour
is (λ, c)-quasigeodesic in G. Then, provided ∆ has an R-cell, there exists an R-cell
Π in ∆ and an ε0-contiguity subdiagram Γ of Π to ∂∆, such that
(Π,Γ, ∂∆) > 1− 23µ.
The main application of this particular small cancellation condition is
Lemma 7.3 ([21], Lemmas 5.1 and 6.3). For any 0 < λ ≤ 1, c ≥ 0 and N > 0
there exist µ1 > 0, ε1 ≥ 0 and ρ1 > 0 such that for any symmetrized set of words
R satisfying C1(ε1, µ1, λ, c, ρ1)-condition the following hold.
1. The group G1 defined by (7.2) is hyperbolic relative to the collection of
images {η(Hi)}i∈I under the natural homomorphism η : G→ G1.
2. The restriction of η to the subset of elements having length at most N with
respect to A is injective.
3. Any element that has a finite order in G1 is an image of an element of
finite order in G.
Below is the principal lemma of this section that will later be used to prove
Theorem 1.5.
24 ASHOT MINASYAN
Lemma 7.4. Assume that G is a torsion-free group hyperbolic relative to a family
of proper subgroups {Hi}i∈I , X is a finite relative generating set of G, S is a suitable
subgroup of G and U ⊂ G is a finite subset. Suppose that i0 ∈ I, a ∈ Hi0 \ {1}
and v1, v2 ∈ G are hyperbolic elements which are not commensurable to each other.
Then there exists a word W (x, y) over the alphabet {x, y} such that the following is
true.
Denote w1 = W (a, v1) ∈ G, w2 = W (a, v2) ∈ G, and let 〈〈w2〉〉 be the normal
closure of w2 in G, G1 = G/〈〈w2〉〉 and η : G → G1 be the natural epimorphism.
• η is injective on {Hλ}λ∈Λ ∪ U and G1 is hyperbolic relative to the family
{η(Hλ)}λ∈Λ;
• η(S) is a suitable subgroup of G1;
• G1 is torsion-free;
• η(w1) 6= 1.
Proof. By Lemma 2.7 there are hyperbolic elements v3, v4 ∈ S such that vi
6≈ vj if
1 ≤ i < j ≤ 4. Then by Lemma 2.2, the group G is hyperbolic relative to the finite
collection of subgroups {Hi}i∈I ∪
j=1{EG(vj)}, and generated by the set
A = X ∪
EG(vj)
 \ {1}.
Let Ω ⊂ G and K ∈ N denote the finite subset and the constant achieved after an
application of Lemma 6.1 to this new collection of peripheral subgroups.
Define m = 7K, λ = 1/3, c = 2 and N = max{|u|A : u ∈ U} + 1. Choose
µj > 0, εj ≥ 0 and ρj > 0, j = 0, 1, according to the claims of Lemmas 7.2
and 7.3. Let ε = max{ε0, ε1}, and let L = L(C, d) > 0 be the constant given by
Lemma 6.5 where C = ε0 and d = 2. Evidently there exists n ∈ N such that, for
µ = (3ε+ 11)/n, one has
0 < µ ≤ min{µ0, µ1}, 2n(1− 23µ) > L, and 2n > max{ρ0, ρ1}.
F(ε) =
h ∈ 〈Ω〉 : |h| ≤ max{K(32ε+ 70),m}
Since the subset F(ε) is finite, we can find k ∈ N such that ak
1 , v
2 /∈ F(ε)
whenever k′ ≥ k. Consider the word
W (x, y) ≡ xkykxk+1yk+1 . . . xk+n−1yk+n−1.
Let wj ∈ G be the element represented by the wordW (a, vj) in G, j = 1, 2, and let
R be the set of all cyclic shifts ofW (a, v2) and their inverses. By Lemma 2.3, Hi0 ∩
EG(v2) = {1} because G is torsion-free, hence by [21, Thm. 7.5] the presentation
(7.2) satisfies the condition C1(ε, µ, 1/3, 2, 2n), and therefore, by Remark 7.1, it
satisfies the conditions C1(ε0, µ, 1/3, 2, ρ0) and C1(ε1, µ1, 1/3, 2, ρ1).
Observe that w1 6= 1 in G because, otherwise, there would have existed a closed
path q in Γ(G,A) labelled by the word W (a, v1), and, by part (a) of Lemma 6.3,
all components of q would have been regular in the cycle o = rqr′q′ (where r, r′, q′
are trivial paths), which is obviously impossible.
Denote G1 = G/〈〈w2〉〉 and let η : G → G1 be the natural epimorphism. Then,
according to Lemma 7.3, the group G1 is is torsion-free, hyperbolic relative to
{η(Hi)}i∈I∪
j=1{η(EG(vj))} and η is injective on the set
i∈I Hi∪
j=1 EG(vj)∪
GROUPS WITH FINITELY MANY CONJUGACY CLASSES 25
U (because the length in A of any element from this set is at most N). Since any
elementary group is word hyperbolic, G1 is also hyperbolic relative to {η(Hi)}i∈I
(by Lemma 2.4) and η(v3), η(v4) ∈ η(S) become hyperbolic elements of infinite or-
der in G1, that are not commensurable with each other (by Lemma 2.3). Therefore
EG1(η(v3)) ∩ EG2(η(v4)) = {1} (recall that these subgroups are cyclic by Lemma
2.2 and because G1 is torsion-free), and, consequently, η(S) is a suitable subgroup
of G1.
Suppose that η(w1) = 1. By van Kampen’s Lemma there exists a reduced
planar diagram ∆ over the presentation (7.2) with the wordW (a, v1) written on its
boundary. SinceW (a, v1)
6= 1, ∆ possesses at least one R-cell. It was proved in [21,
Lemma 7.1] that any path in Γ(G,A) labelled byW (a, v1) is (1/3, 2)-quasigeodesic,
hence we can apply Lemma 7.2 to find an R-cell Π of ∆ and an ε0-contiguity
subdiagram Γ (containing no R-cells) between Π and ∂∆ such that (Π,Γ, ∂∆) >
1− 23µ. Thus there exists a cycle o = rqr′q′ in Γ(G,A) such that q is labelled by a
subword of (a cyclic shift of) W (a, v2), q
′ is labelled by a subword of (a cyclic shift
of) W (a, v1)
±1, L(r),L(r′) ≤ ε0 = C and
L(q) > (1− 23µ) · L(∂Π) = (1− 23µ) · 2n > L.
In particular, Lab(q),Lab(q′) ∈ W(Ω,m). Therefore we can apply Lemma 6.5 to
find two consecutive components of q that are connected to some components of
q′. Due to the form of the word W (a, v2), one of the formers will have to be an
EG(v2)-component, but q
′ can have only EG(v1)- or Hi0 -components. This yields
a contradiction because EG(v2) 6= EG(v1) and EG(v2) 6= Hi0 . Hence η(w1) 6= 1 in
G1, and the proof is complete. �
8. Every group is a group of outer automorphisms of a (2CC)-group
Lemma 8.1. There exists a word R(x, y) over the two-letter alphabet {x, y} such
that every non-elementary torsion-free word hyperbolic group F1 has a non-elemen-
tary torsion-free word hyperbolic quotient F that is generated by two elements a, b ∈
F satisfying
(8.1) R(a, b)
6= 1, R(a−1, b−1)
= 1, R(b, a)
= 1, R(b−1, a−1)
Proof. Consider the word
R(x, y) ≡ xy101x2y102 . . . x100y200.
Denote by F (a, b) the free group with the free generators a, b. Let
R1 = {R(a, b), R(a
−1, b−1), R(b, a), R(b−1, a−1)},
and R2 be the set of all cyclic permutations of words from R
1 . It is easy to see
that the set R2 satisfies the classical small cancellation condition C
′(1/8) (see [10,
Ch. V]). Denote by Ñ the normal closure of the set
R3 = {R(a
−1, b−1), R(b, a), R(b−1, a−1)}
in F (a, b). Since the symmetrization of R3 also satisfies C
′(1/8), the group F̃ =
F (a, b)/Ñ is a torsion-free ([10, Thm. V.10.1]) word hyperbolic group (because it
has a finite presentation for which the Dehn function is linear by [10, Thm. V.4.4])
such that
R(a, b)
6= 1 but R(a−1, b−1)
= R(b, a)
= R(b−1, a−1)
26 ASHOT MINASYAN
Indeed, if the word R(a, b) were trivial in F̃ then, by Greendlinger’s Lemma [10,
Thm. V.4.4], it would contain more than a half of a relator from (the symmetriza-
tion of) R3 as a subword, which would contradict the fact that R2 enjoys C
′(1/8).
The group F̃ is non-elementary because every torsion-free elementary group is
cyclic, hence, abelian, but in any abelian group the relation R(a−1, b−1) = 1 implies
R(a, b) = 1.
Now, the free product G̃ = F̃ ∗F1 is a torsion-free hyperbolic group. Its subgroups
F̃ and F1 are non-elementary, hence, according to a theorem of Ol’shanskii [16,
Thm. 2], there exists a non-elementary torsion-free word hyperbolic group F and
a homomorphism φ : G̃ → F such that φ(F̃ ) = φ(F1) = F and φ(R(a, b)) 6= 1 in
F . Therefore F is a quotient of F1, the (φ-images of the) elements a, b generate F
and enjoy the required relations. �
We are now ready to prove Theorem 1.5.
Proof of Theorem 1.5. The argument will be similar to the one used to prove The-
orem 5.1.
First, set n = 2 and apply Lemma 4.2 to find a countable torsion-free group H
and a normal subgroup M ⊳H , where H/M ∼= C and M has (2CC) (alternatively,
one could start with a free group H ′ and M ′ ⊳H ′ such that H ′/M ′ ∼= C, and then
apply Lemma 4.4 to the pair (H ′,M ′) to obtain H and M with these properties).
Consider the word R(x, y) and the torsion-free hyperbolic group F , generated by
the elements a, b ∈ F which satisfy (8.1), given by Lemma 8.1. Denote G(−2) =
H ∗ F and let N(−2) be the normal closure of 〈M,F 〉 in G(−2), F (−2) = F ,
R(−2) = {R(a, b)} – a finite subset of F (−2). By Lemma 2.6, G(−2) will be
hyperbolic relative to the subgroup H , G(−2) = H ·N(−2), H ∩N(−2) =M and
F (−2) will be a suitable subgroup of G(−2).
The element a ∈ F (−2) will be hyperbolic in G(−2) and since the group G(−2)
is torsion-free, the maximal elementary subgroup EG(−2)(a) will be cyclic generated
by some element h−2x−2, where h−2 ∈ H , x−2 ∈ N(−2).
Choose y−2 ∈ M so that h−2y−2 6= 1. By Lemmas 2.2 and 2.5, the HNN-
extension
G(−3/2) = 〈G(−2), t−1 ‖ t−1h−2x−2t
−1 = h−2y−2〉
is hyperbolic relative to H . As in proof of Theorem 5.1, one can verify that F (−3)
is a suitable subgroup of G(−3/2), and apply Theorem 2.8 to find an epimorphism
η−2 : G(−3/2) → G(−1) such that G(−1) is a torsion-free group hyperbolic relative
to η−2(H), η−2 is injective on H ∪ R(−2) and η−2(t−1) ∈ F (−1) where F (−1) =
η−2(F (−2)) is a suitable subgroup of G(−1). Hence η−2(G(−2)) = G(−1) as
G(−3/2) was generated by G(−2) and t−1.
Denote N(−1) = η−2(N(−2)), R(−1) = η−2(R(−2)) and ψ−2 = η−2|G(−2) :
G(−2) ։ G(−1). One can show thatG(−1) = H ·N(−1) andH∩N(−1) =M using
the same arguments as in the proof of Theorem 5.1. According to the construction,
we have
η−2(t−1)η−2(a)η−2(t
−1) = η(t−1at
−1) ∈ N(−1) ∩H =M
in G(−1), therefore, since the conjugation by η−2(t−1) is an inner automorphism
of F (−1), we can assume that F (−1) is generated by a−1 and b−1, where a−1 ∈M
and R(a−1, b−1) 6= 1 in F (−1) (because η−2(R(a, b)) 6= 1 in F (−1)).
GROUPS WITH FINITELY MANY CONJUGACY CLASSES 27
Now, if b−1 is not a hyperbolic element of G(−1), i.e., if b−1
G(−1)
∼ c for some
c ∈ H , then c ∈ N(−1)∩H =M , and since M has (2CC) we can find s−1 ∈ G(−1)
such that b−1 = s−1a−1s
−1. In this case we define G(0) = G(−1), N(0) = N(−1),
F (0) = F (−1), R(0) = R(−1), a0 = a−1, s0 = s−1 and ψ−1 = idG(−1).
Otherwise, if b−1 is hyperbolic in G(−1), then we construct the group G(0),
and an epimorphism ψ−1 : G(−1) → G(0) in an analogous way, to make sure that
η−1 is injective on H ∪ R(−1), G(0) torsion-free and hyperbolic relative to (the
image of) H , F (0) = ψ−1(F (−1)) is a suitable subgroup of G(0), G(0) = H ·N(0)
and H ∩N(0) = M where N(0) = ψ−1(N(−1)), and b0 = s0a0s
0 in G(0) where
b0 = ψ−1(b−1), a0 = ψ−1(a−1) for some s0 ∈ G(0)
Enumerate all elements of N(0): {g0, g1, g2, . . . }, and of G(0): {q0, q1, q2, . . . },
so that g0 = q0 = 1.
The groups G(j) together with N(j)⊳G(j), F (j) ≤ G(j), finite subsets R(j) ⊂
G(j), and elements aj, sj ∈ G(j), j = 1, 2, . . . , that we will construct shall satisfy
the following properties:
1◦. for each j ∈ N there is an epimorphism ψj−1 : G(j − 1) → G(j) which is
injective on H ∪R(j− 1). F (j) = ψj−1(F (j − 1)), N(j) = ψj−1(N(j − 1)),
aj = ψj−1(aj−1) ∈M , sj = ψj−1(sj−1) ∈ G(j);
2◦. G(j) is torsion-free and hyperbolic relative to (the image of) H , and F (j) ≤
G(j) is a suitable subgroup generated by aj and sjajs
3◦. G(j) = H ·N(j), N(j)⊳G(j) and H ∩N(j) =M ;
4◦. the natural image ḡj of gj in G(j) belongs to F (j);
5◦. there exists zj ∈ H such that q̄j
∼ zj, where q̄j is the image of qj in G(j);
6◦. if j ≥ 1, q̄j−1 ∈ G(j − 1) \H and for each k̂ ∈ N there is k ≥ k̂ such that
akj−1sj−1a
G(j−1)
6≈ akj−1q̄j−1a
j−1q̄
j−1, then there is a word Rj−1(x, y)
over the two-letter alphabet {x, y} which satisfies
R(j) ∋ ψj−1
Rj−1(aj−1, sj−1aj−1s
6= 1 and
Rj−1(aj−1, q̄j−1aj−1q̄
=1 in G(j).
Suppose that the groups G(0), . . . , G(i) have already been defined. The group
G(i+ 1) will be constructed in three steps.
First, assume that q̄i ∈ G(i) \ H and for each k̂ ∈ N there is k ≥ k̂ such that
aki sia
6≈ aki q̄ia
i . Observe that si /∈ H because, otherwise, one would
have F (i) ⊂ H , which is impossible as F (i) is suitable in G(i). Therefore, by
Corollary 6.6, we can suppose that k is so large that the elements v1 = a
i sia
and v2 = a
i q̄ia
i are hyperbolic in G(i). Applying Lemma 7.4 we can find a
word W (x, y) over {x, y} such that the group G(i+ 1/3) = G(i)/〈〈W (ai, v2)〉〉 and
the natural epimorphism η : G(i) → G(i + 1/3) satisfy the following: η is injective
on H ∪ R(i), G(i + 1/3) is torsion-free and hyperbolic relative to (the image of)
H , η(F (i)) ≤ G(i + 1/3) is a suitable subgroup, and η(W (ai, v1)) 6= 1. Define the
word Ri(x, y) ≡ W (x, x
kyk). Then Ri(ai, siais
i ) = W (ai, v1), Ri(ai, q̄iaiq̄
i ) =
W (ai, v2) in G(i), hence
Ri(ai, siais
6= 1 and η
Ri(ai, q̄iaiq̄
= 1 in G(i + 1/3).
28 ASHOT MINASYAN
If, on the other hand, q̄i ∈ H or there is k̂ ∈ N such that for every k ≥ k̂ one has
aki sia
≈ aki q̄ia
i , then we define G(i+ 1/3) = G(i), η : G(i) → G(i+ 1/3)
to be the identical homomorphism and Ri(x, y) to be the empty word.
Let ĝi+1 and q̂i+1 denote the images of gi+1 and qi+1 in G(i + 1/3), N̂(i) =
η(N(i)), F̂ (i) = η(F (i)) and R̂(i) = η
R(i) ∪ {Ri(ai, siais
. Then, using 3◦,
we get G(i + 1/3) = H · N̂(i) and H ∩ N̂(i) = M because ker(η) ≤ N(i) (as
ai, q̄iaiq̄
i ∈ N(i)).
Now we construct the group G(i + 2/3) in exactly the same way as the group
G(i+ 1/2) was constructed in during the proof of Theorem 5.1.
If for some f ∈ G(i + 1/3), f q̂i+1f
−1 = z ∈ H , then set G(i + 2/3) = G(i),
Ki+1 = N̂(i)⊳G(i + 2/3) and ti+1 = 1.
Otherwise, q̂i+1 is a hyperbolic element of infinite order in G(i + 1/3). Since
G(i + 1/3) is torsion-free, one has EG(i+1/3)(q̂i+1) = 〈hx〉 for some h ∈ H and
x ∈ N̂(i), and there is m ∈ Z such that q̂i+1 = (hx)
m. Now, by Lemma 2.2,
G(i + 1/3) is hyperbolic relative to {H, 〈hx〉}. Choose y ∈ M so that hy 6= 1 and
let G(i+ 2/3) be the following HNN-extension of G(i + 1/3):
G(i + 2/3) = 〈G(i + 1/3), ti+1 ‖ ti+1(hx)t
i+1 = hy〉.
The group G(i + 2/3) is torsion-free and hyperbolic relative to H by Lemma 2.5.
One can show that F̂ (i) is a suitable subgroup of G(i + 2/3) in the same way as
during the proof of Theorem 5.1. Lemma 4.3 assures that H ∩Ki+1 = M where
Ki+1 ⊳G(i+ 2/3) is the normal closure of 〈N̂(i), ti+1〉 in G(i+2/3). Finally, note
ti+1q̂i+1t
i+1 = ti+1(hx)
mt−1i+1 = (hy)
m = z ∈ H in G(i + 2/3).
Define Ti+1 = {ĝi+1, ti+1} ⊂ Ki+1. The group G(i + 1) is constructed from
G(i+2/3) as follows. Since Ti+1 · F̂ (i) ⊂ Ki+1⊳G(i+2/3), we can apply Theorem
2.8 to find a group G(i + 1) and an epimorphism ϕi : G(i + 2/3) → G(i + 1) such
that ϕi is injective on H ∪ R̂(i), G(i + 1) is torsion-free and hyperbolic relative to
(the image of) H , {ϕi(ĝi+1), ϕi(ti+1)} ⊂ ϕi(F̂ (i)), ϕi(F̂ (i)) is a suitable subgroup
of G(i + 1), and ker(ϕi) ≤ Ki+1. Denote by ψi : G(i) → G(i + 1) the composition
ϕi ◦ η. Then ψi(G(i)) = ϕi(G(i)) = G(i + 1) because G(i + 2/3) was generated
by G(i) and ti+1, and according to the construction, ti+1 ∈ ϕi(F̂ (i)) ≤ ϕi(G(i)).
Now, after defining F (i+1) = ψi(F (i)), N(i+1) = ψi(N(i)), R(i+1) = ϕi(R̂(i)),
ḡi+1 = ϕi(ĝi+1) ∈ F (i+1) and zi+1 = ϕi(z) ∈ H , we see that the conditions 1
◦ - 5◦
hold in the case when j = i+ 1, as in the proof of Theorem 5.1. The last property
6◦ follows from the way we constructed the group G(i + 1/3).
Let Q = G(∞) be the direct limit of the sequence (G(i), ψi) as i → ∞, and let
F (∞) and N = N(∞) be the limits of the corresponding subgroups. Let a∞, b∞
and s∞ be the images of a0, b0 and s0 in Q respectively. Then b∞ = s∞a∞s
∞ , Q
is torsion-free by 2◦, N ⊳Q, Q = H ·N and H ∩N =M by 3◦, N ≤ F (∞) by 4◦.
Hence Q/N ∼= H/M ∼= C.
Since F (0) ≤ N(0) we get F (∞) ≤ N . Thus N = F (∞) is a homomorphic
image of F (0) = F , and, consequently, it is a quotient of F1. By 5
◦, for any q ∈ N
there are z ∈ H and p ∈ Q such that pqp−1 = z. Consequently z ∈ H ∩ N = M .
Choose x ∈ N and h ∈ H so that p = hx. Since M has (2CC) and h−1zh ∈ M ,
there is y ∈ M such that yh−1zhy−1 = z, therefore (yx)q(yx)−1 = z ∈ M and
GROUPS WITH FINITELY MANY CONJUGACY CLASSES 29
yx ∈ MN = N . Hence each element q of N will be conjugated (in N) to an
element ofM , and since M has (2CC), therefore the group N will also have (2CC).
The property that CQ(N) = {1} can be established in the same way as in
Theorem 5.1. Therefore the natural homomorphism Q → Aut(N) is injective. It
remains to show that it is surjective, that is for every φ ∈ Aut(N) there is g ∈ Q
such that φ(x) = gxg−1 for every x ∈ N . Since all non-trivial elements of N are
conjugated, after composing φ with an inner automorphism of N , we can assume
that φ(a∞) = a∞. On the other hand, there exist q∞ ∈ N and i ∈ N such that
φ(b∞) = q∞a∞q
∞ and q∞ is the image of qi in Q. Note that s∞ /∈ H because
si ∈ G(i) \ H for every i ∈ N. This implies that H is a proper subgroup of N ,
thus q∞ /∈ H since N = F (∞) = 〈a∞, q∞a∞q
∞ 〉 ≤ Q, and a∞ ∈ H . Hence
q̄i ∈ G(i) \H .
Now we have to consider two possibilities.
Case 1: for each k̂ ∈ N there is k ≥ k̂ such that
aki sia
6≈ aki q̄ia
Then there is a word Ri(x, y) such that the property 6
◦ holds for j = i + 1. And,
since each ψj is injective on {1} ∪Rj (by 2
◦), we conclude that
Ri(a∞, s∞a∞s
∞ ) 6= 1 and Ri(a∞, q∞a∞q
∞ ) = 1 in Q,
which contradicts the injectivity of φ. Hence Case 1 is impossible.
Case 2: the assumptions of Case 1 fail. Then we can use Lemma 6.7 to find
β, γ ∈ H and ǫ, ξ ∈ {−1, 1} such that q̄i = γs
iβ, βaiβ
−1 = aǫi and γ
−1aiγ = a
in G(i). Denote by γ∞ the image γ in Q, and for any y ∈ Q let Cy be the
automorphism of N defined by Cy(x) = yxy
−1 for all x ∈ N .
If ξ = −1 then γ−1∞ a∞γ∞ = a
∞ and φ(b∞) = q∞a∞q
∞ = γ∞s
hence
Aut(N) ∋ Cs∞γ−1∞ ◦ φ :
a∞ 7→ s∞a
∞ = b
b∞ = s∞a∞s
∞ 7→ a
But N has no such automorphisms because R(a∞, b∞) 6= 1 and R(b
∞) = 1 in
N (since N is a quotient of F and 1 6= R(a0, b0) ∈ R(0) in G(0)).
Therefore ξ = 1. Similarly, ǫ = 1, as otherwise we would obtain a contradiction
with the fact that R(a−1∞ , b
∞ ) = 1 in N . Thus
Aut(N) ∋ Cγ−1∞ ◦ φ :
a∞ 7→ a∞
b∞ = s∞a∞s
∞ 7→ s∞a∞s
∞ = b∞
And since a∞ and b∞ generate N we conclude that for all x ∈ N , φ(x) = gxg
where g = γ∞ ∈ Q. Thus the natural homomorphism fromQ to Aut(N) is bijective,
implying that Out(N) = Aut(N)/Inn(N) ∼= Q/N ∼= C. Q.e.d. �
References
[1] G. Arzhantseva, A. Minasyan, D. Osin, The SQ-universality and residual properties of rela-
tively hyperbolic groups, J. Algebra 315 (2007), no. 1, 165-177.
[2] I. Belegradek, D. Osin, Rips construction and Kazhdan property (T), preprint (2006). arXiv:
math.GR/0605553
[3] I. Bumagin, D.T. Wise, Every group is an outer automorphism group of a finitely generated
group, J. Pure Appl. Algebra 200 (2005), no. 1-2, 137-147.
[4] R. Camm, Simple Free Products, J. London Math. Soc. 28 (1953), 66-76.
http://arxiv.org/abs/math/0605553
30 ASHOT MINASYAN
[5] Y. de Cornulier, Finitely presentable, non-Hopfian groups with Kazhdan’s Property and infi-
nite outer automorphism group, Proc. Amer. Math. Soc. 135 (2007), no. 4, 951-959.
[6] P. de la Harpe, A. Valette, La propriété (T) de Kazhdan pour les groupes localement compacts,
(avec un appendice de Marc Burger). Astérisque 175, 1989.
[7] M. Droste, M. Giraudet, R. Göbel, All groups are outer automorphism groups of simple
groups, J. London Math. Soc. (2) 64 (2001), no 3, 565-575.
[8] G. Higman, B.H. Neumann, H. Neumann, Embedding theorems for groups, J. London Math.
Soc. 24 (1949), 247-254.
[9] The Kourovka notebook. Unsolved problems in group theory, 16th augmented edition, V. D.
Mazurov and E. I. Khukhro eds., Rossĭıskaya Akademiya Nauk, Sibirskoe Otdelenie, Insti-
tut Matematiki (Siberian branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Mathematical Institute),
Novosibirsk, 2006.
[10] R. Lyndon and P. Schupp, Combinatorial Group Theory, Springer-Verlag, 1977.
[11] T. Matumoto, Any group is represented by an outer automorphism group, Hiroshima Math.
J. 19 (1989), no. 1, 209-219.
[12] A. Muranov, Diagrams with selection and method for constructing boundedly generated and
boundedly simple groups, Comm. Algebra 33 (2005), no. 4, 1217-1258.
[13] A. Muranov, Finitely generated infinite simple groups of infinite commutator width, Int. J.
Algebra Comput. 17 (2007), no. 3, 607-659.
[14] Y. Ollivier, D.T. Wise, Kazhdan groups with infinite outer automorphism group, Trans. Amer.
Math. Soc. 359 (2007), no. 5, 1959-1976.
[15] A.Yu. Ol’shanskii, Geometry of defining relations in groups, Moscow, Nauka, 1989 (in Rus-
sian); English translation in Mathematics and its Applications (Soviet Series), 70. Kluwer
Academic Publishers Group, Dordrecht, 1991.
[16] A.Yu. Ol’shanskii, On residualing homomorphisms and G-subgroups of hyperbolic groups,
Internat. J. Algebra Comput. 3, no. 4 (1993), 365-409.
[17] D.V. Osin, Elementary subgroups of relatively hyperbolic groups and bounded generation,
Internat. J. Algebra Comput. 16 (2006), no. 1, 99-118.
[18] D.V. Osin, Peripheral fillings of relatively hyperbolic groups, Invent. Math. 167 (2007), no. 2,
295-326.
[19] D.V. Osin, Relative Dehn functions of HNN-extensions and amalgamated products, Topo-
logical and asymptotic aspects of group theory, Contemp. Math. 394, 209-220, Amer. Math.
Soc., Providence, RI, 2006.
[20] D.V. Osin, Relatively hyperbolic groups: intrinsic geometry, algebraic properties, and algo-
rithmic problems, Mem. Amer. Math. Soc. 179 (2006), no. 843, vi+100 pp.
[21] D.V. Osin, Small cancellations over relatively hyperbolic groups and embedding theorems,
Annals of Math., to appear. arXiv: math.GR/0411039
[22] F. Paulin, Outer automorphisms of hyperbolic groups and small actions on R-trees, Arboreal
Group Theory (MSRI, Berkeley, 1988), R.C. Alperin ed., Math. Sci. Res. Inst. Publ. 19,
Springer, New York, 1991.
School of Mathematics, University of Southampton, Highfield, Southampton, SO17
1BJ, United Kingdom.
E-mail address: aminasyan@gmail.com
http://arxiv.org/abs/math/0411039
	1. Introduction
	2. Relatively hyperbolic groups
	3. Groups with finitely many conjugacy classes
	4. Normal subgroups with (nCC)
	5. Adding finite generation
	6. Combinatorics of paths in relatively hyperbolic groups
	7. Small cancellation over relatively hyperbolic groups
	8. Every group is a group of outer automorphisms of a (2CC)-group
	References

  We combine classical methods of combinatorial group theory with the theory of
small cancellations over relatively hyperbolic groups to construct finitely
generated torsion-free groups that have only finitely many classes of conjugate
elements. Moreover, we present several results concerning embeddings into such
groups.
  As another application of these techniques, we prove that every countable
group $C$ can be realized as a group of outer automorphisms of a group $N$,
where $N$ is a finitely generated group having Kazhdan's property (T) and
containing exactly two conjugacy classes.

Introduction
We shall start with
Definition. Suppose that n ≥ 2 is an integer. We will say that a group M has the
property (nCC) if there are exactly n conjugacy classes of elements in M .
Note that a group M has (2CC) if and only if any two non-trivial elements are
conjugate in M . For two elements x, y of some group G, we shall write x
∼ y if x
and y are conjugate in G, and x
≁ y if they are not.
For a group G, denote by π(G) the set of all finite orders of elements of G. A
classical theorem of G. Higman, B. Neumann and H. Neumann ([8]) states that
every countable group G can be embedded into a countable (but infinitely gen-
erated) group M , where any two elements of the same order are conjugate and
π(M) = π(G).
For any integer n ≥ 2, take G = Z/2n−2Z and embed G into a countable group
M according to the theorem above. Then card(π(M)) = card(π(G)) = n − 1.
Since, in addition, M will always contain an element of infinite order, the theorem
of Higman-Neumann-Neumann implies that G has (nCC).
Another way to construct infinite groups with finitely many conjugacy classes
was suggested by S. Ivanov [15, Thm. 41.2], who showed for every sufficiently large
prime p there is an infinite 2-generated groupMp of exponent p possessing exactly p
conjugacy classes. The groupMp is constructed as a direct limit of word hyperbolic
groups, and, as noted in [21], it is impossible to obtain an infinite group with (2CC)
in the same manner.
In the recent paper [21] D. Osin developed a theory of small cancellation over
relatively hyperbolic groups and used it to obtain the following remarkable result:
2000 Mathematics Subject Classification. 20F65, 20E45, 20F28.
Key words and phrases. Conjugacy Classes, Relatively Hyperbolic Groups, Outer Automor-
phism Groups.
This work was supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation Grant ♯ PP002-68627.
http://arxiv.org/abs/0704.0091v2
2 ASHOT MINASYAN
Theorem 1.1 ([21], Thm. 1.1). Any countable group G can be embedded into a
2-generated group M such that any two elements of the same order are conjugate
in M and π(M) = π(G).
Applying this theorem to the group G = Z/2n−2Z one can show that for each
integer n ≥ 2 there exists a 2-generated group with (nCC). And when n = 2 we
get a 2-generated torsion-free group that has exactly two conjugacy classes.
The presence of elements of finite orders in the above constructions was impor-
tant, because if two elements have different orders, they can never be conjugate.
So, naturally, one can ask the following
Question 1. Do there exist torsion-free (finitely generated) groups with (nCC),
for any integer n ≥ 3?
Note that if G is the finitely generated group with (2CC) constructed by Osin,
then the m-th direct power Gm of G is also a finitely generated torsion-free group
which satisfies (2mCC). But what if we want to achieve a torsion-free group with
(3CC)? With this purpose one could come up with
Question 2. Suppose that G is a countable torsion-free group and x, y ∈ G are
non-conjugate. Is it possible to embed G into a groupM , which has (3CC), so that
x and y stay non-conjugate in M?
Unfortunately, the answer to Question 2 is negative as the following example
shows.
Example 1. Consider the group
(1.1) G1 = 〈a, t ‖ tat
−1 = a−1〉
which is isomorphic to the non-trivial semidirect product Z ⋊ Z. Note that G1 is
torsion-free, and t is not conjugated to t−1 in G1 because t ≁ t
−1 in the infinite
cyclic group 〈t〉 which is canonically isomorphic to the quotient of G1 by the normal
closure of a. However, if G1 is embedded into a (3CC)-group M , it is easy to see
that every element of M will be conjugated to its inverse (indeed, if y ∈ M \ {1}
and y
≁ y−1 then yǫ
∼ a−1, for some ǫ ∈ {1,−1}, hence yǫ
∼ y−ǫ – a
contradiction). In particular, t
∼ t−1.
An analog of the above example can be given for each n ≥ 3 – see Section 3. This
example shows that, in order to get a positive result, one would have to strengthen
the assumptions of Question 2.
Let G be a group. Two elements x, y ∈ G are said to be commensurable if there
exist k, l ∈ Z \ {0} such that xk is conjugate to yl. We will use the notation x
if x and y are commensurable in G. In the case when x is not commensurable with
y we will write x
6≈ y. Observe that commensurability, as well as conjugacy, defines
an equivalence relation on the set of elements of G. It is somewhat surprising that
if one replaces the words ”non-conjugate” with the words ”non-commensurable” in
Question 2, the answer becomes positive:
Corollary 1.2. Assume that G is a countable torsion-free group, n ∈ N, n ≥ 2,
and x1, . . . , xn−1 ∈ G \ {1} are pairwise non-commensurable. Then there exists a
group M and an injective homomorphism ϕ : G→M such that
1. M is torsion-free and generated by two elements;
GROUPS WITH FINITELY MANY CONJUGACY CLASSES 3
2. M has (nCC);
3. M is 2-boundedly simple;
4. the elements ϕ(x1), . . . , ϕ(xn−1) are pairwise non-commensurable in M .
Recall that a group G is said to be k-boundedly simple if for any x, y ∈ G \ {1}
there exist l ≤ k and g1, . . . , gl ∈ G such that x = g1yg
1 · · · glyg
l in G. A group
is called boundedly simple if it is k-boundedly simple for some k ∈ N. Evidently
every boundedly simple group is simple; the converse is not true in general. For
example, the infinite alternating group A∞ is simple but not boundedly simple
because conjugation preserves the type of the decomposition of a permutation into
a product of cycles. First examples of torsion-free finitely generated boundedly
simple groups were constructed by A. Muranov (see [12, Thm. 2], [13, Thm. 1]).
Corollary 1.2 is an immediate consequence of a more general Theorem 3.5 that
will be proved in Section 3.
Applying Corollary 1.2 to the group G = F (x1, . . . , xn−1), which is free on the
set {x1, . . . , xn−1}, and its non-commensurable elements x1, . . . , xn−1, we obtain a
positive answer to Question 1:
Corollary 1.3. For every integer n ≥ 3 there exists a torsion-free 2-boundedly
simple group satisfying (nCC) and generated by two elements.
(In the case when n = 2 the above statement was obtained by Osin in [21,
Cor. 1.3].) In fact, for any (finitely generated) torsion-free group H we can set
G = H ∗ F (x1, . . . , xn−1), and then use Corollary 1.2 to embed G into a group M
enjoying the properties 1− 4 from its claim. Since there is a continuum of pairwise
non-isomorphic 2-generated torsion-free groups ([4]), and a finitely generated group
can contain at most countably many of different 2-generated subgroups, this shows
that there must be continually many pairwise non-isomorphic groups satisfying
properties 1− 3 from Corollary 1.2.
Recall that the rank rank(G) of a group G is the minimal number of elements re-
quired to generate G. In Section 4 we show how classical theory of HNN-extensions
allows to construct different embeddings into (infinitely generated) groups that have
finitely many classes of conjugate elements, and in Section 5 we use Osin’s results
(from [21]) regarding quotients of relatively hyperbolic groups to prove
Theorem 1.4. Let H be a torsion-free countable group and let M ⊳H be a non-
trivial normal subgroup. Then H can be isomorphically embedded into a torsion-free
group Q, possessing a normal subgroup N ⊳Q, such that
• Q = H ·N and H ∩N =M (hence Q/N ∼= H/M);
• N has (2CC);
• ∀ x, y ∈ Q \ {1}, x
∼ y if and only if ϕ(x)
∼ ϕ(y), where ϕ : Q → Q/N
is the natural homomorphism;
• rank(N) = 2 and rank(Q) ≤ rank(H/M) + 2.
This theorem implies that if Q/N ∼= H/M has exactly (n− 1) conjugacy classes
(e.g., if it is finite), then the group Q will have (nCC) and will not be simple
(if n ≥ 3). Thus it may be used to build (nCC)-groups in a recursive manner.
It also allows to obtain embeddings of countable torsion-free groups into (nCC)-
groups, which we could not get by using Corollary 1.2. For instance, as we saw in
Example 1, the fundamental group of the Klein bottle G1, given by (1.1), can not
be embedded into a (3CC)-group M so that t
≁ t−1. However, with 4 conjugacy
4 ASHOT MINASYAN
classes this is already possible: see Corollary 5.5 in Section 5. The idea is as
follows: the group G1 can be mapped onto Z/3Z in such a way that the images of
the elements t and t−1 are distinct. Let M be the kernel of this homomorphism.
One can apply Theorem 1.4 to the pair (G1,M) to obtain the required embedding
of G1 into a group Q. And since Z/3Z has exactly 3 conjugacy classes, the group
Q will have (4CC).
An application of Theorem 1.4 to the case when H = Z and M = 2Z⊳H also
provides an affirmative answer to a question of A. Izosov from [9, Q. 11.42], asking
whether there exists a torsion-free (3CC)-group Q that contains a normal subgroup
N of index 2.
The goal of the second part of this article is to show that every countable group
can be realized as a group of outer automorphisms of some finitely generated (2CC)-
group. This problem has some historical background: in [11] T. Matumoto proved
that every group is a group of outer automorphisms of some group (in contrast,
there are groups, e.g., Z, that are not full automorphism groups of any group); M.
Droste, M. Giraudet, R. Göbel ([7]) showed that for every group C there exists
a simple group S such that Out(S) ∼= C; I. Bumagina and D. Wise in [3] proved
that each countable group C is isomorphic to Out(N) where N is a 2-generated
subgroup of a countable C′(1/6)-group, and if, in addition, C is finitely presented
then one can choose N to be residually finite.
In Section 6 we establish a few useful statements regarding paths in the Cayley
graph of a relatively hyperbolic group G, and apply them in Section 7 to obtain
small cancellation quotients of G satisfying certain conditions. Finally, in Section
8 we prove the following
Theorem 1.5. Let C be an arbitrary countable group. Then for every non-elemen-
tary torsion-free word hyperbolic group F1 there exists a torsion-free group N sat-
isfying the following properties:
• N is a 2-generated quotient of F1;
• N has (2CC);
• Out(N) ∼= C.
The principal difference between this theorem and the result of [3] is that our
group N is torsion-free and simple. Moreover, if one applies Theorem 1.5 to the
case when F1 is a torsion-free hyperbolic group with Kazhdan’s property (T) (and
recalls that every quotient of a group with property (T) also has (T)), one will get
Corollary 1.6. For any countable group C there is a 2-generated group N such
that N has (2CC) and Kazhdan’s property (T), and Out(N) ∼= C.
The reason why Kazhdan’s property (T) is interesting in this context is the
question from [6, p. 134] which asked whether there exist groups that satisfy
property (T) and have infinite outer automorphism groups (it can be motivated
by a theorem of F. Paulin [22] which claims that the outer automorphism group is
finite for any word hyperbolic group with property (T)). Positive answers to this
question were obtained (using different methods) by Y. Ollivier and D. Wise [14],
Y. de Cornulier [5], and I. Belegradek and D. Osin [2]. Corollary 1.6 not only
shows that the group of outer automorphisms of a group N with property (T)
can be infinite, but also demonstrates that there are no restrictions whatsoever on
Out(N).
GROUPS WITH FINITELY MANY CONJUGACY CLASSES 5
Acknowledgements. The author would like to thank D. Osin for fruitful dis-
cussions and encouragement.
2. Relatively hyperbolic groups
Assume that G is a group, {Hλ}λ∈Λ is a fixed collection of subgroups of G (called
peripheral subgroups), and X is a subset of G. The subset X is called a relative
generating set of G with respect to {Hλ}λ∈Λ if G is generated by X ∪
λ∈ΛHλ. In
this case G a quotient of the free product
F = (∗λ∈ΛHλ) ∗ F (X ),
where F (X ) is the free group with basis X . Let R be a subset of F such that the
kernel of the natural epimorphism F → G is the normal closure of R in the group
F ; then we will say that G has relative presentation
(2.1) 〈X , {Hλ}λ∈Λ ‖ R = 1, R ∈ R〉.
If the sets X and R are finite, the relative presentation (2.1) is said to be finite.
Set H =
λ∈Λ(Hλ \ {1}). A finite relative presentation (2.1) is said to satisfy a
linear relative isoperimetric inequality if there exists C > 0 such that, for every word
w in the alphabet X ∪H (for convenience, we will further assume that X−1 = X )
representing the identity in the group G, one has
f−1i R
i fi,
with equality in the group F , where Ri ∈ R, fi ∈ F , for i = 1, . . . , k, and k ≤ C‖w‖,
where ‖w‖ is the length of the word w.
The next definition is due to Osin (see [20]):
Definition. the group G is called hyperbolic relative to (the collection of peripheral
subgroups) {Hλ}λ∈Λ, if G admits a finite relative presentation (2.1) satisfying a
linear relative isoperimetric inequality.
This definition is independent of the choice of the finite generating set X and
the finite set R in (2.1) (see [20]). We would also like to note that, in general, it
does not require the group G to be finitely generated, which will be important in
this paper. The definition immediately implies the following basic facts:
Remark 2.1 ([20]). (a) Let {Hλ}λ∈Λ be an arbitrary family of groups. Then the
free product G = ∗λ∈ΛHλ will be hyperbolic relative to {Hλ}λ∈Λ.
(b) Any word hyperbolic group (in the sense of Gromov) is hyperbolic relative
to the family {{1}}, where {1} denotes the trivial subgroup.
Recall that a group H is called elementary if it has a cyclic subgroup of finite
index. Further in this section we will assume that G is a non-elementary group
hyperbolic relative to a family of proper subgroups {Hλ}λ∈Λ.
An element g ∈ G is said to be parabolic if it is conjugated to an element of Hλ
for some λ ∈ Λ. Otherwise g is said to be hyperbolic. Given a subgroup S ≤ G, we
denote by S0 the set of all hyperbolic elements of S of infinite order.
Lemma 2.2 ([17], Thm. 4.3, Cor. 1.7). For every g ∈ G0 the following conditions
hold.
6 ASHOT MINASYAN
1) The element g is contained in a unique maximal elementary subgroup EG(g)
of G, where
(2.2) EG(g) = {f ∈ G : fg
nf−1 = g±n for some n ∈ N}.
2) The group G is hyperbolic relative to the collection {Hλ}λ∈Λ ∪ {EG(g)}.
Recall that a non-trivial subgroup H ≤ G is called malnormal if for every g ∈
G \H , H ∩ gHg−1 = {1}. The next lemma is a special case of Theorem 1.4 from
[20]:
Lemma 2.3. For any λ ∈ Λ and any g /∈ Hλ, the intersection Hλ ∩ gHλg
−1 is
finite. If h ∈ G, µ ∈ Λ and µ 6= λ, then the intersection Hλ ∩ hHµh
−1 is finite. In
particular, if G is torsion-free then Hλ is malnormal (provided that Hλ 6= {1}).
Lemma 2.4 ([20], Thm. 2.40). Suppose that a group G is hyperbolic relative
to a collection of subgroups {Hλ}λ∈Λ ∪ {S1, . . . , Sm}, where S1, . . . , Sm are word
hyperbolic (in the ordinary non-relative sense). Then G is hyperbolic relative to
{Hλ}λ∈Λ.
Lemma 2.5 ([19], Cor. 1.4). Let G be a group which is hyperbolic relative to a
collection of subgroups {Hλ}λ∈Λ ∪ {K}. Suppose that K is finitely generated and
there is a monomorphism α : K → Hν for some ν ∈ Λ. Then the HNN-extension
〈G, t ‖ txt−1 = α(x), x ∈ K〉 is hyperbolic with respect to {Hλ}λ∈Λ.
In [21] Osin introduced the following notion: a subgroup S ≤ G is suitable if
there exist two elements g1, g2 ∈ S
0 such that g1
6≈ g2 and EG(g1)∩EG(g2) = {1}.
For any S ≤ G with S0 6= ∅, one sets
(2.3) EG(S) =
EG(g)
which is obviously a subgroup of G normalized by S. Note that EG(S) = {1} if the
subgroup S is suitable in G. As shown in [1, Lemma 3.3], if S is non-elementary
and S0 6= ∅ then EG(S) is the unique maximal finite subgroup of G normalized by
Lemma 2.6. Let {H}λ∈Λ be a family of groups and let F be a torsion-free non-
elementary word hyperbolic group. Then the free product G = (∗λ∈ΛHλ) ∗ F is
hyperbolic relative to {Hλ}λ∈Λ and F is a suitable subgroup of G.
Proof. Indeed, G is hyperbolic relative to {Hλ}λ∈Λ by Remark 2.1 and Lemma
2.4. Since F is non-elementary, there are elements of infinite order x, y ∈ F such
that x
6≈ y (see, for example, [16, Lemma 3.2]). Evidently, x and y are hyperbolic
elements of G that are not commensurable with each other, and the subgroups
EG(x) = EF (x) ≤ F , EG(y) = EF (y) ≤ F are cyclic (as elementary subgroups of a
torsion-free group). Hence EG(x) ∩ EG(y) = {1}, and thus F is suitable in G. �
Lemma 2.7 ([21], Lemma 2.3). Suppose that G is a group hyperbolic relative to a
family of subgroups {Hλ}λ∈Λ and S ≤ G is a suitable subgroup. Then one can find
infinitely many pairwise non-commensurable (in G) elements g1, g2, · · · ∈ S
0 such
that EG(gi) ∩ EG(gj) = {1} for all i 6= j.
The following theorem was proved by Osin in [21] using the theory of small
cancellation over relatively hyperbolic groups, and represents our main tool for
obtaining new quotients of such groups having a number of prescribed properties:
GROUPS WITH FINITELY MANY CONJUGACY CLASSES 7
Theorem 2.8 ([21], Thm. 2.4). Let G be a torsion-free group hyperbolic relative to
a collection of subgroups {Hλ}λ∈Λ, let S be a suitable subgroup of G, and let T, U
be arbitrary finite subsets of G. Then there exist a group G1 and an epimorphism
η : G→ G1 such that:
(i) The restriction of η to
λ∈ΛHλ ∪ U is injective, and the group G1 is hy-
perbolic relative to the collection {η(Hλ)}λ∈Λ;
(ii) for every t ∈ T , we have η(t) ∈ η(S);
(iii) η(S) is a suitable subgroup of G1;
(iv) G1 is torsion-free;
(v) the kernel ker(η) of η is generated (as a normal subgroup of G) by a finite
collection of elements belonging to T · S.
We have slightly changed the original formulation of the above theorem from
[21], demanding the injectivity on V =
λ∈ΛHλ ∪ U (instead of just
λ∈ΛHλ)
and adding the last point concerning the generators of the kernel. The latter
follows from the explicit form of the relations, imposed on G (see the proof of
Thm. 2.4 in [21]), and the former – from part 2 of Lemma 5.1 in [21] and the fact
that any element from V has length (in the alphabet X ∪ H) at most N , where
N = max{|h|X∪H : h ∈ U}+ 1.
3. Groups with finitely many conjugacy classes
Lemma 3.1. Let G be a group and let x1, x2, x3, x4 ∈ G be elements of infinite order
such that x1
6≈ xi, i = 2, 3, 4. Let H = 〈G, t ‖ tx3t
−1 = x4〉 be the HNN-extension
of G with associated cyclic subgroups generated by x3 and x4. Then x1
6≈ x2.
Proof. Arguing by contradiction, assume that hxl1h
−1xm2 = 1 for some h ∈ H ,
l,m ∈ Z \ {0}. The element h has a reduced presentation of the form
h = g0t
ǫ1g1t
ǫ2 . . . tǫkgk
where g0, . . . , gk ∈ G, ǫ1, . . . , ǫk ∈ Z \ {0}, and
gj /∈ 〈x3〉 if 1 ≤ j ≤ k − 1 and ǫj > 0, ǫj+1 < 0
gj /∈ 〈x4〉 if 1 ≤ j ≤ k − 1 and ǫj < 0, ǫj+1 > 0
By the assumptions, x1
6≈ x2 hence k ≥ 1, and in the group H we have
(3.1) hxl1h
−1xm2 = g0t
ǫ1g1t
ǫ2 . . . tǫkgkx
−ǫk . . . t−ǫ2g−11 t
−ǫ1 g̃0 = 1,
where g̃0 = g
2 ∈ G. By Britton’s Lemma (see [10, IV.2]), the left hand side
in (3.1) can not be reduced, and this can happen only if gkx
k belongs to either
〈x3〉 or 〈x4〉 in G, which would contradict the assumptions. Thus the lemma is
proved. �
Definition. Suppose that G is a group and Xi ⊂ G, i ∈ I, is a family of subsets.
We shall say that Xi, i ∈ I, are independent if no element of Xi is commensurable
with an element of Xj whenever i 6= j, i, j ∈ I.
Lemma 3.2. Assume that G is a countable torsion-free group, n ∈ N, n ≥ 2, and
non-empty subsets Xi ⊂ G \ {1}, i = 1, . . . , n− 1, are independent in G. Then G
can be (isomorphically) embedded into a countable torsion-free group M in such a
way that M has (nCC) and the subsets Xi, i = 1, . . . , n− 1, remain independent in
8 ASHOT MINASYAN
Proof. For each i = 1, . . . , n− 1, fix an element xi ∈ Xi. First we embed G into a
countable torsion-free group G1 such that for each non-trivial element g ∈ G there
exist j ∈ {1, . . . , n− 1} and t ∈ G1 satisfying tgt
−1 = xj in G1, and the subsets Xi,
i = 1, . . . , n− 1, stay independent in G1.
Let g1, g2, . . . be an enumeration of all non-trivial elements of G. Set G(0) = G
and suppose that we have already constructed the group G(k), containing G, so
that for each l ∈ {1, . . . , k} there is j ∈ {1, . . . , n− 1} such that the element gl is
conjugated in G(k) to xj , and Xi, i = 1, . . . , n− 1, are independent in G(k).
Suppose, at first, that gk+1 is commensurable in G(k) with an element of Xj
for some j. Then gk+1
6≈ h for every h ∈
i=1,i6=j
Xi. Define G(k + 1) to be the
HNN-extension 〈G(k), tk+1 ‖ tk+1gk+1t
k+1 = xj〉. By Lemma 3.1 the subsets Xi,
i = 1, . . . , n− 1, will remain independent in G(k + 1).
Thus we can assume that gk+1 is not commensurable with any element from
i=1 Xi in G(k). According to the induction hypotheses one can apply Lemma 3.1
to the HNN-extension
G(k + 1) = 〈G(k), tk+1 ‖ tk+1gk+1t
k+1 = x1〉
to see that the subsets Xi ⊂ G ≤ G(k + 1), i = 1, . . . , n − 1, are independent in
G(k + 1).
Now, setG1 =
k=0G(k). EvidentlyG1 has the required properties. In the same
manner, one can embed G1 into a countable torsion-free group G2 so that each non-
trivial element of G1 will be conjugated to xi in G2, for some i ∈ {1, . . . , n − 1},
and the subsets Xi, i = 1, . . . , n− 1, continue to be independent in G2.
Proceeding like that we obtain the desired groupM =
s=1Gs. By the construc-
tion, M is a torsion-free countable group which has exactly n conjugacy classes:
[1], [x1], . . . , [xn−1]. The subsets Xi, i = 1, . . . , n− 1, are independent in M because
they are independent in Gs for each s ∈ N. �
Corollary 3.3. In Lemma 3.2 one can add that the groupM is 2-boundedly simple.
Proof. Let a torsion-free countable group G and its non-empty independent subsets
Xi, i = 1, . . . , n− 1, be as in Lemma 3.2. Let F = F (a1, . . . , an−1, b1, . . . , bn−1) be
the free group with the free generating set {a1, . . . , an−1, b1, . . . , bn−1}, and consider
the group Ḡ = G ∗ F . For each i = 1, . . . , n− 1, define
X̄i = Xi ∪ {ai, a
i } ∪ {[aj, bi] | j = 1, . . . , n− 1, j 6= i} ⊂ Ḡ,
where [aj , bi] = ajbia
i . Using the universal properties of free groups and free
products one can easily see that the subsets X̄i, i = 1, . . . , n− 1, are independent
in Ḡ.
Now we apply Lemma 3.2 to find a countable torsion-free (nCC)-group M , con-
taining Ḡ, such that X̄i, i = 1, . . . , n− 1, are independent in M . Observe that this
implies that for any given i = 1, . . . , n− 1, any two elements of X̄i are conjugate in
M . For arbitrary x, y ∈ M \ {1} there exist i, j ∈ {1, . . . , n − 1} such that x
and y
∼ aj . If i = j then x
∼ y. Otherwise, y
∼ a−1j and x
∼ [aj , bi] which
is a product of two conjugates of aj , and, hence, of y. Therefore the group M is
2-boundedly simple, and since G ≤ Ḡ ≤M , the corollary is proved. �
GROUPS WITH FINITELY MANY CONJUGACY CLASSES 9
Below is a particular (torsion-free) case of a theorem proved by Osin in [21, Thm.
2.6]:
Lemma 3.4. Any countable torsion-free group S can be embedded into a 2-generated
group M so that S is malnormal in M and every element of M is conjugated to an
element of S in M .
Proof. Following Osin’s proof of Theorem 2.6 from [21], we see that the required
group M can be constructed as an inductive limit of relatively hyperbolic groups
G(i), i ∈ N. More precisely, one sets G(0) = S ∗ F2, where F2 is a free group of
rank 2, ξ0 = idG(0) : G(0) → G(0), and for each i ∈ N one constructs a group
G(i) and an epimorphism ξi : G(0) → G(i) so that ξi is injective on S, G(i) is
torsion-free and hyperbolic relative to {ξi(S)}, and ξi factors through ξi−1. The
group M is defined to be the direct limit of (G(i), ξi) as i → ∞, i.e., Q = G(0)/N
where N =
i∈N ker(ξi). By Lemma 2.3, ξi(S) is malnormal in G(i), hence the
image of S will also be malnormal in M . �
Theorem 3.5. Let G be a torsion-free countable group, n ∈ N, n ≥ 2, and non-
empty subsets Xi ⊂ G \ {1}, i = 1, . . . , n − 1, be independent in G. Then G can
be embedded into a 2-generated torsion-free group M which has (nCC), so that the
subsets Xi, i = 1, . . . , n− 1, stay independent in M . Moreover, one can choose M
to be 2-boundedly simple.
Proof. First, according to Corollary 3.3, we can embed the groupG into a countable
torsion-free group S such that S has (nCC) and is 2-boundedly simple, and Xi,
i = 1, . . . , n − 1, are independent in S. Second, we apply Lemma 3.4 to find the
2-generated group M from its claim. Choose any i, j ∈ {1, . . . , n − 1}, i 6= j, and
x ∈ Xi, y ∈ Xj. If x and y were commensurable inM , the malnormality of S would
imply that x and y must be commensurable in S, contradicting the construction.
Hence Xi, i = 1, . . . , n − 1, are independent in M . Since each element of M is
conjugated to an element of S, it is evident that M has (nCC), is torsion-free and
2-boundedly simple. �
Remark 3.6. A more direct proof of Theorem 3.5, not using Lemma 3.4, can be
extracted from the proof of Theorem 5.1 (see Section 5), applied to the case when
H =M .
It is easy to see that Theorem 3.5 immediately implies Corollary 1.2 that was
formulated in the Introduction. As promised, we now give a counterexample to
Question 2 (formulated in the Introduction) for any n ≥ 3.
Example 2. Let G2 = 〈a, t ‖ tat
−1 = a2〉 be the Baumslag-Solitar BS(1, 2)-group.
ThenG2 is torsion-free, and the elements t
2, t4, . . . , t2
are pairwise non-conjugate
in G2 (since this holds in the quotient of G2 by the normal closure of a). Suppose
that G2 is embedded into a group M having (nCC) so that t
2, t4, . . . , t2
pairwise non-conjugate in M . Then t2, . . . , t2
is the list of representatives of all
non-trivial conjugacy classes of M . Therefore there exist k, l ∈ {1, . . . , n− 1} such
that t
and a
. Consequently
and t2
hence k = l = n− 1 according to the assumptions. But this yields
n−1 M
∼ t2,
10 ASHOT MINASYAN
implying that t2
∼ t4, which contradicts our assumptions.
Thus G2 can not be embedded into a (nCC)-group M in such a way that
t2, . . . , t2
remain pairwise non-conjugate in M .
4. Normal subgroups with (nCC)
If M is a normal subgroup of a group H , then H naturally acts on M by con-
jugation. We shall say that this action preserves the conjugacy classes of M if for
any h ∈ H and a ∈M there exists b ∈M such that hah−1 = bab−1.
Lemma 4.1. Let G be a torsion-free group, N ⊳ G and x1, . . . , xl ∈ N \ {1}
be pairwise non-commensurable (in G) elements. Then there exists a partition
N \ {1} =
k=1Xk of N \ {1} into a (disjoint) union of G-independent subsets
X1, . . . , Xl such that xk ∈ Xk for every k ∈ {1, . . . , l}. Moreover, each subset Xk
will be invariant under conjugation by elements of G.
Proof. Since
≈ is an equivalence relation on G\{1}, one can find the corresponding
decomposition: G \ {1} =
j∈J Yj , where Yj is an equivalence class for each j ∈ J .
For each k = 1, . . . , l, there exists j(k) ∈ J such that xk ∈ Yj(k). Note that
j(k) 6= j(m) if k 6= m since xk
6≈ xm.
Denote J ′ = J \ {j(1), . . . , j(l − 1)},
X1 = Yj(1) ∩N, . . . , Xl−1 = Yj(l−1) ∩N, and Xl =
Yj ∩N.
EvidentlyN\{1} =
k=1Xk, X1, . . . , Xl are independent subsets of G and xk ∈ Xk
for each k = 1, . . . , l. The final property follows from the construction since for any
a ∈ G and j ∈ J we have aYja
−1 = Yj and aNa
−1 = N . �
Lemma 4.2. For every countable group C and each n ∈ N, n ≥ 2, there exists a
countable torsion-free group H having a normal subgroup M ⊳H such that
(i) M satisfies (nCC);
(ii) M is 2-boundedly simple;
(iii) the natural action of H on M preserves the conjugacy classes of M ;
(iv) H/M ∼= C.
Proof. Let H ′0 be the free group of infinite countable rank. Choose N
0 so that
H ′0/N
∼= C. Let F = F (x1, . . . , xn−1) denote the free group freely generated by
x1, . . . , xn−1. Define H0 = H
0 ∗ F and let N0 be the normal closure of N
0 ∪ F in
H0. Evidently, H0/N0 ∼= H
∼= C and the elements x1, . . . , xn−1 ∈ N0 \ {1} are
pairwise non-commensurable in H0.
By Lemma 4.1, one can choose a partition of N0 \ {1} into the union of H0-
independent subsets:
N0 \ {1} =
so that xk ∈ X0k for each k = 1, . . . , n− 1.
By Corollary 3.3 there exists a countable torsion-free 2-boundedly simple group
M1 with the property (nCC) containing a copy of N0, such that the subsets X0k,
k = 1, 2, . . . , n − 1, are independent in M1. Denote by H1 = H0 ∗N0 M1 the
amalgamated product of H0 and M1 along N0, and let N1 be the normal closure
GROUPS WITH FINITELY MANY CONJUGACY CLASSES 11
of M1 in H1. Note that H1 is torsion-free as an amalgamated product of two
torsion-free groups ([10, IV.2.7]).
We need to verify that the elements x1, . . . , xn−1 are pairwise non-commen-
surable in H1. Indeed, if a ∈ X0k and b ∈ X0l, k 6= l, are conjugate in H1 then
there must exist y1, . . . , yt ∈ M1 \N0 and z1, . . . , zt−1 ∈ H0 \N0, z0, zt ∈ H0 such
z0y1 · · · zt−1ytztaz
t−1 · · · y
Suppose that t is minimal possible with this property. As conjugation by elements
of H0 preserves X0k and X0l, we can assume that z0, zt = 1. Hence
y1z1 · · · zt−1ytay
t−1 · · · z
−1 H1= 1.
By the properties of amalgamated products (see [10, Ch. IV]), the left-hand side
in this equality can not be reduced, consequently ytay
t ∈ N0 \ {1} =
k=1 X0k.
But then ytay
t ∈ X0k by the properties of M1, contradicting the minimality of t.
Thus, we have shown that xk
6≈ xl whenever k 6= l.
Assume that the groupHi = Hi−1∗Ni−1Mi, i ≥ 1, has already been constructed,
so that
0) Hi is countable and torsion-free;
1) Ni−1 ⊳Hi−1;
2) Hi−1 = H0 ·Ni−1 and H0 ∩Ni−1 = N0;
3) Mi satisfies (nCC);
4) x1, . . . , xn−1 are pairwise non-commensurable in Hi.
Let Ni be the normal closure of Mi in Hi. Because of the condition 4) and
Lemma 4.1, one can find a partition of Ni \ {1} into a union of Hi-independent
subsets:
Ni \ {1} =
so that xk ∈ Xik for each k = 1, . . . , n − 1. By Lemma 3.2 there is a countable
group a Mi+1, with (nCC), containing a copy of Ni, in which the subsets Xik,
i = 1, . . . , n− 1, remain independent. Set Hi+1 = Hi ∗Ni Mi+1. Now, it is easy to
verify that the analogs of the conditions 0)-3) hold for Hi+1 and
(4.1) Ni−1 ≤Mi ≤ Ni ≤Mi+1.
The analog of the condition 4) is true in Hi+1 by the same considerations as before
(in the case of H1).
Define the group H =
i=1Hi and its subgroup M =
i=1Ni. Observe that
the condition 0) implies that H is torsion-free, condition 1) implies that M is
normal in H , and 2) implies that H = H0 ·M and H0 ∩M = N0. Hence H/M ∼=
H0/(H0∩M) ∼= C. Applying (4.1) we getM =
i=1Mi, and thus, by the conditions
3), 4) it enjoys the property (nCC): each element of M will be a conjugate of xk
for some k ∈ {1, . . . , n− 1}. Since x1, . . . , xn−1 ∈M1 ≤M and M1 is 2-boundedly
simple, then so will be M . Finally, 4) implies that xk
≁ xl whenever k 6= l,
and, consequently, the natural action of H on M preserves its conjugacy classes.
Q.e.d. �
Lemma 4.3. Suppose that G is a group, N ⊳ G, A,B ≤ G and ϕ : A → B is
an isomorphism such that ϕ(a) ∈ aN (i.e., the canonical images of a and ϕ(a) in
12 ASHOT MINASYAN
G/N coincide) for each a ∈ A. Let L = 〈G, t ‖ tat−1 = ϕ(a), ∀ a ∈ A〉 be the
HNN-extension of G with associated subgroups A and B, and let K be the normal
closure of 〈N, t〉 in L . Then G ∩K = N .
Proof. This statement easily follows from the universal property of HNN-extensions
and is left as an exercise for the reader. �
The next lemma will allow us to construct (nCC)-groups that are not simple:
Lemma 4.4. Assume that H is a torsion-free countable group and M⊳H is a non-
trivial normal subgroup. Then H can be isomorphically embedded into a countable
torsion-free group G possessing a normal subgroup K ⊳G such that
1) G = HK and H ∩K =M ;
2) ∀ x, y ∈ G \ {1}, ϕ(x) = ϕ(y) if and only if ∃ h ∈ K such that x = hyh−1,
where ϕ : G → G/K is the natural homomorphism; in particular, K will
have (2CC);
3) ∀ x, y ∈ G \ {1}, x
∼ y if and only if ϕ(x)
∼ ϕ(y);
Proof. Choose a set of representatives Z ⊂ H of cosets of H modulo M , in such a
way that each coset is represented by a unique element from Z and 1 /∈ Z.
DefineG(0)=H andK(0) =M . Enumerate the elements ofG(0)\{1}: g1, g2, . . . .
First we embed the group G(0) into a countable torsion-free group G1, having a
normal subgroup K1 ⊳G1, such that G1 = HK1, H ∩K1 =M and for every i ≥ 0
there are ti ∈ K1 and zi ∈ Z satisfying tigit
i = zi.
Suppose that the (countable torsion-free) group G(j), j ≥ 0, and K(j) ⊳ G(j),
have already been constructed so that H ≤ G(j), G(j) = HK(j), H ∩K(j) = M
and, if j ≥ 1, then tjgjt
j = zj for some tj ∈ K(j) and zj ∈ Z. The group G(j+1),
containing G(j), is defined as the following HNN-extension:
G(j + 1) = 〈G(j), tj+1 ‖ tj+1gj+1t
j+1 = zj+1〉,
where zj+1 ∈ Z ⊂ H is the unique representative satisfying gj+1 ∈ zj+1K(j) in
G(j). Denote by K(j+1)⊳G(j+1) the normal closure of 〈K(j), tj+1〉 in G(j+1).
Evidently the group G(j + 1) is countable and torsion-free, H ≤ G(j) ≤ G(j + 1),
G(j + 1) = HK(j + 1) and H ∩K(j + 1) = H ∩K(j) =M by Lemma 4.3.
Now, it is easy to verify that the group G1 =
j=0G(j) and its normal subgroup
j=0K(j) enjoy the required properties.
In the same way we can embed G1 into a countable torsion-free group G2, that
has a normal subgroup K2⊳G2, so that G2 = HK2, H∩K2 =M and each element
of G1 \ {1} is conjugated in G2 to a corresponding element of Z. Performing such
a procedure infinitely many times we achieve the group G =
i=1Gi and a normal
subgroup K =
i=1Ki ⊳ G that satisfy the claims 1) and 2) of the lemma. It is
easy to see that the claim 2) implies 3), thus the proof is finished. �
5. Adding finite generation
Theorem 5.1. Assume that H is a countable torsion-free group and M is a non-
trivial normal subgroup of H. Let F be an arbitrary non-elementary torsion-free
word hyperbolic group. Then there exist a countable torsion-free group Q, containing
H, and a normal subgroup N ⊳Q with the following properties:
1. H is malnormal in Q;
2. Q = H ·N and N ∩H =M ;
GROUPS WITH FINITELY MANY CONJUGACY CLASSES 13
3. N is a quotient of F ;
4. the centralizer CQ(N) of N in Q is trivial;
5. for every q ∈ Q there is z ∈ H such that q
Proof. The group Q will be constructed as a direct limit of relatively hyperbolic
groups.
Step 0 . Set G(0) = H ∗F and F (0) = F ; then G(0) is hyperbolic relative to its
subgroupH and F (0) is a suitable subgroup of G(0) by Lemma 2.6. LetN(0)⊳G(0)
be the normal closure of the subgroup 〈M,F 〉 in G(0). Evidently G(0) = H ·N(0)
and H ∩ N(0) = M . Enumerate all the elements of N(0): {g0, g1, g2, . . . }, and of
G(0): {q0, q1, q2, . . . }, in such a way that g0 = q0 = 1.
Steps 0-i . Assume the groups G(j), j = 0, . . . , i, i ≥ 0, have been already
constructed, so that
1◦. for each 1 ≤ j ≤ i there is an epimorphism ψj−1 : G(j−1) → G(j) which is
injective on (the image of) H in G(j − 1). Denote F (j) = ψj−1(F (j − 1)),
N(j) = ψj−1(N(j − 1));
2◦. G(j) is torsion-free and hyperbolic relative to (the image of) H , and F (j) ≤
G(j) is a suitable subgroup, j = 0, . . . , i;
3◦. G(j) = H ·N(j), N(j)⊳G(j) and H ∩N(j) =M , j = 0, . . . , i;
4◦. the natural image ḡj of gj in G(j) belongs to F (j), j = 0, . . . , i;
5◦. there exists zj ∈ H such that q̄j
∼ zj, j = 0, . . . , i, where q̄j is the image
of qj in G(j).
Step i+1 . Let q̂i+1 ∈ G(i), ĝi+1 ∈ N(i) be the images of qi+1 and gi+1 in G(i).
First we construct the group G(i+1/2), its normal subgroup Ki+1 and its element
ti+1 as follows.
If for some f ∈ G(i), f q̂i+1f
−1 = z ∈ H , then set G(i + 1/2) = G(i), Ki+1 =
N(i)⊳G(i + 1/2) and ti+1 = 1.
Otherwise, q̂i+1 is a hyperbolic element of infinite order in G(i). Since G(i) is
torsion-free, the elementary subgroup EG(i)(q̂i+1) is cyclic, thus EG(i)(q̂i+1) = 〈hx〉
for some h ∈ H and x ∈ N(i) (by 3◦), and q̂i+1 = (hx)
m for some m ∈ Z. Now, by
Lemma 2.2, G(i) is hyperbolic relative to {H, 〈hx〉}. Choose y ∈M so that hy 6= 1
and let G(i + 1/2) be the following HNN-extension of G(i):
G(i + 1/2) = 〈G(i), ti+1 ‖ ti+1(hx)t
i+1 = hy〉.
The group G(i+ 1/2) is torsion-free and hyperbolic relative to H by Lemma 2.5.
Let us now verify that the subgroup F (i) is suitable in G(i + 1/2). Indeed,
according to Lemma 2.7, there are two hyperbolic elements f1, f2 ∈ F (i) of infinite
order in G(i) such that fl
6≈ hx, fl
6≈ hy, l = 1, 2, and f1
6≈ f2. Then
G(i+1/2)
6≈ f2 by Lemma 3.1. It remains to check that fl is a hyperbolic element
of G(i + 1/2) for each l = 1, 2. Choose an arbitrary element w ∈ H and observe
that fl
6≈ w (since H is malnormal in G(i) by Lemma 2.3, a non-trivial power of
fl is conjugated to an element of H if and only if fl is conjugated to an element of
H in G(i), but the latter is impossible because fl is hyperbolic in G(i)). Applying
Lemma 3.1 again, we get that fl
G(i+1/2)
6≈ w for any w ∈ H . Hence f1, f2 ∈ F (i) are
hyperbolic elements of infinite order in G(i+1/2). The intersection EG(i+1/2)(f1)∩
14 ASHOT MINASYAN
EG(i+1/2)(f2) must be finite, since these groups are virtually cyclic (by Lemma 2.2),
and f1 is not commensurable with f2 in G(i+1/2). But G(i+ 1/2) is torsion-free,
therefore EG(i+1/2)(f1) ∩EG(i+1/2)(f2) = {1}. Thus F (i) is a suitable subgroup of
G(i+ 1/2).
Lemma 4.3 assures that H ∩Ki+1 =M where Ki+1 ⊳G(i + 1/2) is the normal
closure of 〈N(i), ti+1〉 in G(i + 1/2). Finally, note that
ti+1q̂i+1t
i+1 = ti+1(hx)
mt−1i+1 = (hy)
m = z ∈ H in G(i + 1/2).
Now, that the group G(i+ 1/2) has been constructed, set Ti+1 = {ĝi+1, ti+1} ⊂
Ki+1 and define G(i+ 1) as follows. Since Ti+1 ·F (i) ⊂ Ki+1 ⊳G(i+1/2), we can
apply Theorem 2.8 to find a group G(i+1) and an epimorphism ϕi : G(i+1/2) →
G(i + 1) such that ϕi is injective on H , G(i + 1) is torsion-free and hyperbolic
relative to (the image of) H , {ϕi(ĝi+1), ϕi(ti+1)} ⊂ ϕi(F (i)), ϕi(F (i)) is a suitable
subgroup of G(i + 1), and ker(ϕi) ≤ Ki+1. Denote by ψi the restriction of ϕi on
G(i). Then ψi(G(i)) = ϕi(G(i)) = G(i + 1) because G(i + 1/2) was generated by
G(i) and ti+1, and according to the construction, ti+1 ∈ ϕi(F (i)) ≤ ϕi(G(i)). Now,
after defining F (i+1) = ψi(F (i)), N(i+1) = ψi(N(i)), ḡi+1 = ϕi(ĝi+1) ∈ F (i+1)
and zi+1 = ϕi(z) ∈ H , we see that the conditions 1
◦,2◦,4◦ and 5◦ hold in the case
when j = i+1. The properties G(i+1) = H ·N(i+1) and N(i+1)⊳G(i+1) are
immediate consequences of their analogs for G(i) and N(i). Finally, observe that
ϕ−1i (H ∩N(i+ 1)) = H · ker(ϕi) ∩N(i) · ker(ϕi) =
H ∩N(i) · ker(ϕi)
· ker(ϕi)
H ∩Ki+1
· ker(ϕi) =M · ker(ϕi).
Therefore H ∩N(i+ 1) =M and the condition 3◦ holds for G(i + 1).
Let Q = G(∞) be the direct limit of the sequence (G(i), ψi) as i → ∞, and let
F (∞) and N = N(∞) be the limits of the corresponding subgroups. Then Q is
torsion-free by 2◦, N ⊳ Q, Q = H · N and H ∩N = M by 3◦. N ≤ F (∞) by 4◦,
and 5◦ implies the condition 5 from the claim.
Since F (0) ≤ N(0) we get F (∞) ≤ N . Thus N = F (∞) is a homomorphic
image of F (0) = F .
For any i, j ∈ N ∪ {∞}, i < j, we have a natural epimorphism ζij : G(i) → G(j)
such that if i < j < k then ζjk ◦ ζij = ζik. Take any g ∈ G(0). Since F = F (0)
is finitely generated, using the properties of direct limits one can show that if
w = ζ0∞(g) ∈ CQ(F (∞)) in Q, then ζ0j(g) ∈ CG(j)(F (j)) for some j ∈ N. But
CG(j)(F (j)) ≤ EG(j)(F (j)) = {1} (by formulas (2.2) and (2.3)) because F (j) is
a suitable subgroup of G(j), hence w = ζj∞
ζ0j(g)
= 1, that is, CQ(F (∞)) =
CQ(N) = {1}. This concludes the proof. �
The next statement is well-known:
Lemma 5.2. Assume G is a group and N ⊳ G is a normal subgroup such that
CG(N) ⊆ N , where CG(N) is the centralizer of N in G. Then the quotient-group
G/N embeds into the outer automorphism group Out(N).
Proof. The action of G on N by conjugation induces a natural homomorphism
ϕ from G to the automorphism group Aut(N) of N . Since ϕ(N) is exactly the
group of inner automorphisms Inn(N) of N , one can define a new homomorphism
ϕ̄ : G/N → Out(N) = Aut(N)/Inn(N) in the natural way: ϕ̄(gN) = ϕ(g)Inn(N)
for every gN ∈ G/N . It remains to check that ϕ̄ is injective, i.e., if g ∈ G \N then
ϕ̄(gN) 6= 1 in Out(N); or, equivalently, ϕ(g) /∈ Inn(N). Indeed, otherwise there
GROUPS WITH FINITELY MANY CONJUGACY CLASSES 15
would exist a ∈ N such that ghg−1 = aha−1 for every h ∈ N , thus N 6∋ a−1g ∈
CG(N), contradicting the assumptions. Q.e.d. �
Note that for an arbitrary group N , any subgroup C ≤ Out(N) naturally acts
on the set of conjugacy classes C(N) of the group N .
Theorem 5.3. For any n ∈ N, n ≥ 2, and an arbitrary countable group C, C can
be isomorphically embedded into the outer automorphism group Out(N) of a group
N satisfying the following conditions:
• N is torsion-free;
• N is generated by two elements;
• N has (nCC) and the natural action of C on C(N) is trivial;
• N is 2-boundedly simple.
Proof. By Lemma 4.2 we can find a countable torsion-free group H and its normal
subgroup M enjoying the properties (i)-(iv) from its claim. Now, if F denotes
the free group of rank 2, we can obtain a countable torsion-free group Q together
with its normal subgroup N that satisfy the conditions 1-5 from the statement of
Theorem 5.1.
Then N is torsion-free and generated by two elements (as a quotient of F ).
Condition 2 implies that Q/N ∼= H/M ∼= C and, by 4 and Lemma 5.2, C embeds
into the group Out(N).
Using property 5, for each g ∈ N we can find u ∈ Q and z ∈ H such that
ugu−1 = z ∈ N ∩ H = M . Since Q = HN , there are h ∈ H and x ∈ N
such that u = hx. Since z, h−1zh ∈ M and the action of H on M preserves
the conjugacy classes of M , there is r ∈ M such that rh−1zhr−1 = z, hence
z = rh−1ugu−1(rh−1)−1 = rxgx−1r−1, where v = rx ∈ N . Thus for every g ∈ N
there is v ∈ N such that vgv−1 ∈ M . Evidently, this implies that N is also 2-
boundedly simple. Since M has (nCC), the number of conjugacy classes in N will
be at most n.
Suppose x1, x2 ∈ M and x1
≁ x2. Then x1
≁ x2 (by the property (iii) from
the claim of Lemma 4.2), and since H is malnormal in Q we get x1
≁ x2. Hence
≁ x2, i.e., N also enjoys (nCC).
The fact that the natural action of C on C(N) is trivial follows from the same
property for the action of H on C(M) and the malnormality of H in Q. Q.e.d. �
Now, let us proceed with the
Proof of Theorem 1.4. First we apply Lemma 4.4 to construct a group G and a
normal subgroup K ⊳ G according to its claim. Now, by Theorem 5.1, there is a
groupQ, having a normal subgroupN⊳Q such that G is malnormal in Q, Q = GN ,
G ∩ N = K, rank(N) ≤ 2 (if one takes the free group of rank 2 as F ) and every
element q ∈ Q is conjugated (in Q) to an element of G. By claim 2) of Lemma 4.4,
K has (2CC), and an argument, similar to the one used in the proof of Theorem
5.3, shows that N will also have (2CC). Consequently, rank(N) > 1 because N is
torsion-free, hence rank(N) = 2.
Since G = HK and H ∩ K = M we have Q = HKN = HN and H ∩ N =
H ∩K =M . Since Q/N ∼= H/M and N can be generated by two elements, we can
conclude that rank(Q) ≤ rank(H/M) + 2.
16 ASHOT MINASYAN
Consider arbitrary x, y ∈ Q \ {1} and suppose that ϕ(x)
∼ ϕ(y). By Theorem
5.1, there are w, z ∈ G \ {1} such that x
∼ w and y
∼ z. Therefore ϕ(w)
∼ ϕ(z),
hence the images of w and z in G/K are also conjugate. By claim 3) of Lemma
4.4, w
∼ z, implying x
∼ y. �
Theorem 1.4 provides an alternative way of obtaining torsion-free groups that
have finitely many conjugacy classes: for any countable group C we can choose
a free group H of countable rank and a normal subgroup {1} 6= M ⊳ H so that
H/M ∼= C, and then apply Theorem 1.4 to the pair (H,M) to get
Corollary 5.4. Assume that n ∈ N, n ≥ 2, and C is a countable group that
contains exactly (n− 1) distinct conjugacy classes. Then there exists a torsion-free
group Q and N ⊳Q such that
• Q/N ∼= C;
• N has (2CC) and Q has (nCC);
• rank(N) = 2 and rank(Q) ≤ rank(C) + 2.
Corollary 5.5. The group G1, given by presentation (1.1), can be isomorphically
embedded into a 2-generated torsion-free group Q satisfying (4CC) in such a way
that t
≁ t−1.
Proof. Denote by K the kernel of the homomorphism ϕ : G1 → Z3, for which
ϕ(a) = 0 and ϕ(t) = 1, where Z3 is the group of integers modulo 3. Now, apply
Theorem 1.4 to the pair (G1,K) to find the group Q, containing G1, and the normal
subgroup N ⊳ Q from its claim. Since Q/N ∼= G1/K ∼= Z3 has (3CC), the group
Q will have (4CC). We also have t
≁ t−1 because the images of t and t−1 are not
conjugate in Q/N .
Choose an element q1 ∈ Q \ N . Then q2 = q
1 ∈ N \ {1} and since N is 2-
generated and has (2CC), there is q3 ∈ N such that N = 〈q2, q3〉 in Q. As Q/N
is generated by the image of q1, the group Q will be generated by {q1, q2, q3}, and,
consequently, by {q1, q3}. Q.e.d. �
6. Combinatorics of paths in relatively hyperbolic groups
Let G be a group hyperbolic relative to a family of proper subgroups {Hλ}λ∈Λ,
and let X be a finite symmetrized relative generating set of G. Denote H =
λ∈Λ (Hλ \ {1}).
For a combinatorial path p in the Cayley graph Γ(G,X ∪H) (of G with respect
to X ∪H) p−, p+, L(p), and lab(p) will denote the initial point, the ending point,
the length (that is, the number of edges) and the label of p respectively. p−1 will
be the path obtained from p by following it in the reverse direction. Further, if Ω
is a subset of G and g ∈ 〈Ω〉 ≤ G, then |g|Ω will be used to denote the length of a
shortest word in Ω±1 representing g.
We will be using the following terminology from [20]. Suppose q is a path in
Γ(G,X ∪ H). A subpath p of q is called an Hλ-component for some λ ∈ Λ (or
simply a component) of q, if the label of p is a word in the alphabet Hλ \ {1} and
p is not contained in a bigger subpath of q with this property.
Two components p1, p2 of a path q in Γ(G,X ∪ H) are called connected if they
are Hλ-components for the same λ ∈ Λ and there exists a path c in Γ(G,X ∪ H)
connecting a vertex of p1 to a vertex of p2 such that lab(c) entirely consists of letters
GROUPS WITH FINITELY MANY CONJUGACY CLASSES 17
from Hλ. In algebraic terms this means that all vertices of p1 and p2 belong to the
same coset gHλ for a certain g ∈ G. We can always assume c to have length at
most 1, as every nontrivial element of Hλ is included in the set of generators. An
Hλ-component p of a path q is called isolated if no other Hλ-component of q is
connected to p.
The next statement is a particular case of Lemma 2.27 from [20]; we shall for-
mulate it in a slightly more general form, as it appears in [18, Lemma 2.7]:
Lemma 6.1. Suppose that a group G is hyperbolic relative to a family of subgroups
{Hλ}λ∈Λ. Then there exists a finite subset Ω ⊆ G and a constant K ∈ N such
that the following holds. Let q be a cycle in Γ(G,X ∪H), p1, . . . , pk be a collection
of isolated components of q and g1, . . . , gk be the elements of G represented by
Lab(p1), . . . ,Lab(pk) respectively. Then g1, . . . , gk belong to the subgroup 〈Ω〉 ≤ G
and the word lengths of gi’s with respect to Ω satisfy
|gi|Ω ≤ KL(q).
Definition. Suppose that m ∈ N and Ω is a finite subset of G. Define W(Ω,m) to
be the set of all words W over the alphabet X ∪H that have the following form:
W ≡ x0h0x1h1 . . . xlhlxl+1,
where l ∈ Z, l ≥ −2 (if l = −2 then W is the empty word; if l = −1 then W ≡ x0),
hi and xi are considered as single letters and
1) xi ∈ X ∪{1}, i = 0, . . . , l+1, and for each i = 0, . . . , l, there exists λ(i) ∈ Λ
such that hi ∈ Hλ(i);
2) if λ(i) = λ(i + 1) then xi+1 /∈ Hλ(i) for each i = 0, . . . , l− 1;
3) hi /∈ {h ∈ 〈Ω〉 : |h|Ω ≤ m}, i = 0, . . . , l.
Choose the finite subset Ω ⊂ G and the constant K > 0 according to the claim
of Lemma 6.1.
Recall that a path q in Γ(G,X ∪ H) is said to be without backtracking if all of
its components are isolated.
Lemma 6.2. Let q be a path in the Cayley graph Γ(G,X ∪ H) with Lab(q) ∈
W(Ω,m) and m ≥ 5K. Then q is without backtracking.
Proof. Assume the contrary to the claim. Then one can choose a path q providing
a counterexample of the smallest possible length. Thus if p1, . . . , pl is the (consec-
utive) list of all components of q then l ≥ 2, p1 and pl must be connected Hλ′ -
components, for some λ′ ∈ Λ, the components p2, . . . , pl−1 must be isolated, and q
starts with p1 and ends with pl. Since Lab(q) ∈ W(Ω,m) we have L(q) ≤ 2l− 1.
If l = 2 then the (X ∪ {1})-letter between p1 and p2 would belong to Hλ′
contradicting the property 2) from the definition of W(Ω,m).
Therefore l ≥ 3. Since p1 and pl are connected, there exists a path v in Γ(G,X ∪
H) between (pl)− and (p1)+ with Lab(v) ∈ Hλ′ (thus we can assume that L(v) ≤ 1).
Denote by q̂ the subpath of q starting with (p1)+ and ending with (pl)−. Note that
L(q̂) = L(q)−2 ≤ 2l−3, and p2, . . . , pl−1 is the list of components of q̂, all of which
are isolated. If one of them were connected to v it would imply that it is connected
to p1 contradicting with the minimality of q. Hence the cycle o = q̂v possesses
18 ASHOT MINASYAN
k = l − 2 ≥ 1 isolated components, which represent elements h1, . . . , hk ∈ H.
Consequently, applying Lemma 6.1 one obtains that hi ∈ 〈Ω〉, i = 1, . . . , k, and
|hi|Ω ≤ KL(o) ≤ K(L(q̂) + 1) ≤ K(2l− 2).
By the condition 3) from the definition of W(Ω,m) one has |hi|Ω > m ≥ 5K for
each i = 1, . . . , k. Hence
k · 5K ≤
|hi|Ω ≤ K(2l− 2), or 5 ≤
2l − 2
which contradicts the inequality k ≥ l − 2. Q.e.d. �
Definition. Consider an arbitrary cycle o = rqr′q′ in Γ(G,X ∪ H), where Lab(q)
and Lab(q′) belong to W(Ω,m). Let p be a component of q (or q′). We will say
that p is regular if it is not an isolated component of o. If m ≥ 5K, and hence q and
q′ are without backtracking by Lemma 6.2, this means that p is either connected
to some component of q′ (respectively q), or to a component of r or r′.
Lemma 6.3. In the above notations, suppose that m ≥ 7K and denote C =
max{L(r),L(r′)}. Then
(a) if C ≤ 1 then every component of q or q′ is regular;
(b) if C ≥ 2 then each of q and q′ can have at most 4C components which are
not regular.
(c) if l is the number of components of q, then at least (l− 6C) of components
of q are connected to components of q′; and two distinct components of q
can not be connected to the same component of q′. Similarly for q′.
Proof. Assume the contrary to (a). Then one can choose a cycle o = rqr′q′ with
L(r),L(r′) ≤ 1, having at least one isolated component on q or q′, and such that
L(q) + L(q′) is minimal. Clearly the latter condition implies that each component
of q or q′ is an isolated component of o. Therefore q and q′ together contain k
distinct isolated components of o, representing elements h1, . . . , hk ∈ H, where
k ≥ 1 and k ≥ (L(q) − 1)/2 + (L(q′) − 1)/2. Applying Lemma 6.1 we obtain
hi ∈ 〈Ω〉, i = 1, . . . , k, and
|hi|Ω ≤ KL(o) ≤ K(L(q) + L(q
′) + 2).
Recall that |hi|Ω > m ≥ 7K by the property 3) from the definition of W(Ω,m).
Therefore
i=1 |hi|Ω ≥ k · 7K, implying
L(q′)
L(q)− 1
L(q′)− 1
which yields a contradiction.
Let us prove (b). Suppose that C ≥ 2 and q contains more than 4C isolated
components of o. We shall consider two cases:
Case 1. No component of q is connected to a component of q′. Then a com-
ponent of q or q′ can be regular only if it is connected to a component of r or r′.
Since, by Lemma 6.2, q and q′ are without backtracking, two distinct components
of q or q′ can not be connected to the same component of r (or r′). Hence q and
GROUPS WITH FINITELY MANY CONJUGACY CLASSES 19
q′ together can contain at most 2C regular components. Thus the cycle o has k
isolated components, representing elements h1, . . . , hk ∈ H, where k ≥ 4C > 4 and
k ≥ (L(q)−1)/2+(L(q′)−1)/2−2C. By Lemma 6.1, hi ∈ 〈Ω〉 for each i = 1, . . . , k,
i=1 |hi|Ω ≤ K(L(q) + L(q
′) + 2C). Once again we can use the property 3)
from the definition of W(Ω,m) to achieve
L(q′)
L(q)− 1
L(q′)− 1
− 2C + 1 + 3C
L(q)− 1
L(q′)− 1
≤ 2 +
yielding a contradiction.
Case 2. The path q has at least one component which is connected to a com-
ponent of q′. Let p1, . . . , pl denote the sequence of all components of q. By part
(a), if ps and pt, 1 ≤ s ≤ t ≤ l, are connected to components of q
′, then for any
j, s ≤ j ≤ t, pj is connected to some component of q
′ (because q is without back-
tracking by Lemma 6.2). We can take s (respectively t) to be minimal (respectively
maximal) possible. Consequently p1, . . . , ps−1, pt+1, . . . , pl will contain the set of
all isolated components of o that belong to q, and none of these components will
be connected to a component of q′.
Without loss of generality we may assume that s− 1 ≥ 4C/2 = 2C. Since ps is
connected to some component p′ of q′, there exists a path v in Γ(G,X∪H) satisfying
v− = (ps)−, v+ = p
+, Lab(v) ∈ H ∪ {1}, L(v) ≤ 1. Let q̄ (respectively q̄
′) denote
the subpath of q (respectively q′) from q− to (ps)− (respectively from p
+ to q
Consider a new cycle ō = rq̄vq̄′. Reasoning as before, one can show that ō has k
isolated components, where k ≥ 2C ≥ 4 and k ≥ (L(q̄)−1)/2+(L(q̄′)−1)/2−C−1.
Now, an application of Lemma 6.1 to the cycle ō together with the property 3) from
the definition of W(Ω,m) will lead to a contradiction as before.
By the symmetry, the statement (b) of the lemma also holds for q′.
The claim (c) follows from (b) and the estimate L(r) + L(r′) ≤ 2C because if
two different components p and p̄ of q were connected to the same component of
some path in Γ(G,X ∪H), then p and p̄ would also be connected with each other,
which would contradict Lemma 6.2. �
Lemma 6.4. In the previous notations, let m ≥ 7K, C = max{L(r),L(r′)}, and
let p1, . . . , pl, p
1, . . . , p
l′ be the consecutive lists of the components of q and q
respectively If l ≥ 12max{C, 1} + 2, then there are indices s, t, s′ ∈ N such that
1 ≤ s ≤ 6C + 1, l − 6max{C, 1} ≤ t ≤ l and for every i ∈ {0, 1, . . . , t − s}, the
component ps+i of q is connected to the component p
s′+i of q
Proof. By part (c) of Lemma 6.3, there exists s ≤ 6C +1 such that the component
ps is connected to a component p
s′ for some s
′ ∈ {1, . . . , l′}. Thus there is a path
r1 between (p
s′)+ and (ps)+ with L(r1) ≤ 1. Consider a new cycle o1 = r1q1r
where q1 is the segment of q from (ps)+ to q+ = r
− and q
1 is the segment of q
from q′− = r
+ to (p
s′)+.
Observe that ps+1, . . . , pl is the list of all components of q1 and l−s ≥ l−6C−1 ≥
6max{1, C}+ 1, hence, according to part (c) of Lemma 6.3 applied to o1, there is
t ≥ l − 6max{1, C} > s such that pt is connected to p
t′ by means of a path r
where s′ + 1 ≤ t′ ≤ l′, (r′1)− = (pt)+, (r
1)+ = (p
t′)+ and L(r
1) ≤ 1. Consider
20 ASHOT MINASYAN
s′+i′ p
Figure 1.
the cycle o2 = r1q2r
2 in which q2 and q
2 are the segments of q1 and q
1 from
(ps)+ = (r1)+ to (pt)+ and from (p
t′)+ to (p
s′)+ = (r1)− respectively (Fig. 1).
Note that ps+1, . . . , pt is the list of all components of q2 and p
s′+1, . . . , p
t′ is the
list of all components of q′2
. The cycle o2 satisfies the assumptions of part (a) of
Lemma 6.3, therefore for every i ∈ {1, . . . , t − s} there exists i′ ∈ {1, . . . , t′ − s′}
such that ps+i is connected to p
s′+i′ (ps+i can not be connected to r1 [r
1] because in
this case it would be connected to ps [pt], but q is without backtracking by Lemma
6.2).
It remains to show that i′ = i for every such i. Indeed, if i′ < i for some
i ∈ {1, . . . , t − s} then one can consider the cycle o3 = r1q3r
3, where q3 and
q′3 are segments of q2 and q
2 from (q2)− = (r1)+ to (ps+i)+ and from (p
s′+i′ )+ to
(q′2)+ = (r1)− respectively, and (r
3)− = (q3)+, (r
3)+ = (q
3)−, L(r
3) ≤ 1. According
to part (a) of Lemma 6.3, each of the components ps+1, . . . , ps+i of q3 must be
connected to one of p′s′+1, . . . , p
s′+i′ . Hence, since i
′ < i, two distinct components
of q3 will be connected to the same component of q
, which is impossible by part
(c) of Lemma 6.3.
The inequality i′ > i would lead to a contradiction after an application of a
symmetric argument to q′3. Therefore i
′ = i and the lemma is proved. �
Lemma 6.5. In the above notations, let m ≥ 7K and C = max{L(r),L(r′)}. For
any positive integer d there exists a constant L = L(C, d) ∈ N such that if L(q) ≥ L
then there are d consecutive components ps, . . . , ps+d−1 of q and p
s′ , . . . , p
s′+d−1 of
q′−1, so that ps+i is connected to p
s′+i for each i = 0, . . . , d− 1.
Proof. Choose the constant L so that (L − 1)/2 ≥ 12max{C, 1} + 2 + d. Let
p1, . . . , pl be the consecutive list all components of q. Since Lab(q) ∈ W(Ω,m), we
have l ≥ (L − 1)/2 (due to the form of any word from W(Ω,m)). Thus we can
apply Lemma 6.4 to find indices s, t from its claim. By the choice of s and t, and
the estimate on l, we have t− s ≥ d+ 1, yielding the statement of the lemma. �
Corollary 6.6. Let G be a group hyperbolic relative to a family of proper subgroups
{Hλ}λ∈Λ. Suppose that a ∈ Hλ0 , for some λ0 ∈ Λ, is an element of infinite order,
and x1, x2 ∈ G \ Hλ0 . Then there exists k ∈ N such that g = a
k1x1a
k2x2 is a
hyperbolic element of infinite order in G whenever |k1|, |k2| ≥ k.
GROUPS WITH FINITELY MANY CONJUGACY CLASSES 21
Proof. Without loss of generality we can assume that x1, x2 ∈ X , since relative
hyperbolicity does not depend on the choice of the finite relative generating set
([20, Thm. 2.34]). Choose the finite subset Ω ⊂ G and the constant K ∈ N
according to the claim of Lemma 6.1, and set m = 7K. As the order of a is infinite,
there is k ∈ N such that ak
/∈ {h ∈ 〈Ω〉 : |h|Ω ≤ m} whenever |k
′| ≥ k. Assume
that |k1|, |k2| ≥ k.
Suppose, first, that gl = 1 for some l ∈ N. Consider the cycle o = rqr′q′ in
Γ(G,X ∪ H) where q− = q+ = 1, Lab(q) ≡ (a
k1x1a
k2x2)
l ∈ W(Ω,m) (akj are
considered as single letters from the alphabet X ∪H) and r, r′, q′ are trivial paths
(consisting of a single point). Then, by part (a) of Lemma 6.3, every component of
q must be regular in o, which is impossible since q is without backtracking according
to Lemma 6.2. Hence g has infinite order in G.
Suppose, now, that there exists λ′ ∈ Λ, u ∈ Hλ′ and y ∈ G such that ygy
−1 = u.
Denote C = |y|X∪H. Since element u ∈ G has infinite order, there exists l ∈ N such
that 2l ≥ 6C+2 and ul /∈ {h ∈ 〈Ω〉 : |h|Ω ≤ m}. The equality yg
ly−1u−l = 1 gives
rise to the cycle o = rqr′q′ in Γ(G,X∪H), where r and r′ are paths of length C whose
labels represent y in G, r− = 1, q− = r+ = y, Lab(q) ≡ (a
k1x1a
k2x2)
l ∈ W(Ω,m),
r′− = q+, q
− = r
+ = y(a
k1x1a
k2x2)
ly−1 and Lab(q′) ≡ u−l ∈ W(Ω,m), L(q′) = 1.
By part (c) of Lemma 6.3, at least 2l − 6C ≥ 2 distinct components of q must
be connected to distinct components of q′, which is impossible as q′ has only one
component. The contradiction shows that g must be a hyperbolic element of G. �
Lemma 6.7. Let G be a torsion-free group hyperbolic relative to a family of proper
subgroups {Hλ}λ∈Λ, a ∈ Hλ0 \ {1}, for some λ0 ∈ Λ, and t, u ∈ G \Hλ0 . Suppose
that there exists k̂ ∈ N such that for every k ≥ k̂ the element g1 = a
ktakt−1
is commensurable with g2 = a
kuaku−1 in G. Then there are β, γ ∈ Hλ0 and
ǫ, ξ ∈ {−1, 1} such that u = γtξβ, βaβ−1 = aǫ, γ−1aγ = aǫ.
Proof. Changing the finite relative generating set X of G, if necessary, we can
assume that t, u, t−1, u−1 ∈ X . Let the finite subset Ω ⊂ G and the constant
K ∈ N be chosen according to Lemma 6.1. Define m = 7K and suppose that k is
large enough to satisfy ak /∈ {h ∈ 〈Ω〉 : |h|Ω ≤ m}.
Since g1 and g2 are commensurable, there exist l, l
′ ∈ Z\{0} and y ∈ G such that
ygl2y
−1 = gl
1 . Let C = |y|X∪H, d = 8 and L = L(C, d) be the constant from Lemma
6.5. Without loss of generality, assume that 4l ≥ L. Consider the cycle o = rqr′q′
in Γ(G,X ∪ H) such that r and r′ are paths of length C whose labels represent y
in G, r− = 1, q− = r+ = y, Lab(q) ≡ (a
kuaku−1)l ∈ W(Ω,m), L(q) = 4l, r′− = q+,
q′− = r
+ = yg
−1, Lab(q′) ≡ (aktakt−1)l
∈ W(Ω,m), L(q′) = 4l′.
Now, by Lemma 6.5, there are subpaths q̃ = p1s1p2s2p3s3p4 of q and q̃
4 of q
′−1 such that Lab(pi) ≡ a
k, Lab(p′i) ≡ a
ǫk, i = 1, 2, 3, 4, for
some ǫ ∈ {−1, 1} (which depends on the sign of l′), Lab(s1) ≡ Lab(s3) ≡ u,
Lab(s2) ≡ u
−1, Lab(s′1) ≡ Lab(s
3) ≡ t
ξ, Lab(s′2) ≡ t
−ξ, for some ξ ∈ {−1, 1}, and
pi is connected in Γ(G,X∪H) to p
i for each i = 1, 2, 3, 4. Therefore there exist paths
p̃1, p̃2, p̃3, p̃4 whose labels represent the elements α, β, γ, δ ∈ Hλ0 respectively, such
that (p̃1)− = (p1)+, (p̃1)+ = (p
1)+, (p̃2)− = (p
2)+, (p̃2)+ = (p2)+, (p̃3)− = (p3)−,
(p̃3)+ = (p
3)−, (p̃4)− = (p
4)−, (p̃4)+ = (p4)− (see Fig. 2).
The cycles s−11 p̃1s
2p̃2p
2 , s2p̃3s
p̃2 and s
3 p̃3p
3p̃4 give rise to the fol-
lowing equalities in the group G:
u = αtξaǫkβa−k, u = γtξβ and u = a−kγaǫktξδ.
22 ASHOT MINASYAN
p1 s1 p2 s2 p3 s3 p4
p′1 s
p̃1 p̃2 p̃3 p̃4
ak u ak u−1 ak u
aǫkaǫkaǫk
t−ξtξ tξ
Figure 2.
Consequently, recalling that Hλ0 is malnormal (Lemma 2.3) and that t
ξ /∈ Hλ0 , we
βakβ−1a−ǫk = t−ξγ−1αtξ ∈ Hλ0 ∩ t
−ξHλ0t
ξ = {1}, and
a−ǫkγ−1akγ = tξδβ−1t−ξ ∈ Hλ0 ∩ t
ξHλ0t
−ξ = {1}.
(6.1) βakβ−1 = aǫk and γ−1akγ = aǫk
for some β = β(k), γ = γ(k) ∈ Hλ0 and ǫ = ǫ(k), ξ = ξ(k) ∈ {−1, 1}. Note that
the proof works for any sufficiently large k, therefore we can find two mutually
prime positive integers k, k′ with the above properties such that ǫ(k) = ǫ(k′) = ǫ
and ξ(k) = ξ(k′) = ξ. Denote β′ = β(k′) and γ′ = γ(k′), then γtξβ = u = γ′tξβ′,
implying
γ−1γ′ = tξββ′
t−ξ ∈ Hλ0 ∩ t
ξHλ0t
−ξ = {1}.
Hence β′ = β, γ′ = γ,
(6.2) βak
β−1 = aǫk
and γ−1ak
γ = aǫk
It remains to observe that since k and k′ are mutually prime, the formulas (6.1)
and (6.2) together yield
βaβ−1 = aǫ and γ−1aγ = aǫ,
q.e.d. �
7. Small cancellation over relatively hyperbolic groups
Let G be a group generated by a subset A ⊆ G and let O be the set of all
words in the alphabet A±1, that are trivial in G. Then G has a presentation of the
following form:
(7.1) G = 〈A ‖ O〉.
Given a symmetrized set of words R over the alphabet A, consider the group G1
defined by
(7.2) G1 = 〈A ‖ O ∪R〉 = 〈G ‖ R〉.
During the proof of the main result of this section we use presentations (7.2) (or,
equivalently, the sets of additional relators R) that satisfy the generalized small
cancellation condition C1(ε, µ, λ, c, ρ). In the case of word hyperbolic groups this
condition was suggested by Ol’shanskii in [16], and was afterwards generalized to
relatively hyperbolic groups by Osin in [21]. For the definition and detailed theory
we refer the reader to the paper [21], as we will only use the properties, that were
GROUPS WITH FINITELY MANY CONJUGACY CLASSES 23
already established there. The following observation is an immediate consequence
of the definition:
Remark 7.1. Let the constants εj, µj , λ, c, ρj , j = 1, 2, satisfy 0 < λ ≤ 1, 0 ≤ ε1 ≤
ε2, c ≥ 0, 0 < µ2 ≤ µ1, ρ2 ≥ ρ1 > 0. If the presentation (7.2) enjoys the condition
C1(ε2, µ2, λ, c, ρ2) then it also enjoys the condition C1(ε1, µ1, λ, c, ρ1).
We will also assume that the reader is familiar with the notion of a van Kampen
diagram over the group presentation (7.2) (see [10, Ch. V] or [15, Ch. 4]). Let ∆ be
such a diagram. A cell Π of ∆ is called an R-cell if the label of its boundary contour
∂Π (i.e., the word written on it starting with some vertex in the counter-clockwise
direction) belongs to R.
Consider a simple closed path o = rqr′q′ in a diagram ∆ over the presentation
(7.2), such that q is a subpath of the boundary cycle of an R-cell Π and q′ is a
subpath of ∂∆. Let Γ denote the subdiagram of ∆ bounded by o. Assuming that
Γ has no holes, no R-cells and L(r),L(r′) ≤ ε, it will be called an ε-contiguity
subdiagram of Π to ∂∆. The ratio L(q)/L(∂Π) will be called the contiguity degree
of Π to ∂∆ and denoted (Π,Γ, ∂∆).
A diagram is said to be reduced if it has a minimal number of R-cells among all
the diagrams with the same boundary label.
If G is a group hyperbolic relative to a family of proper subgroups {Hi}i∈I , with
a finite relative generating set X , then G is generated by the set A = X ∪
i∈I(Hi \
{1}), and the Cayley graph Γ(G,A) is a hyperbolic metric space [20, Cor. 2.54].
As for every condition of small cancellation, the main statement of the theory is
the following analogue of Greendlinger’s Lemma, claiming the existence of a cell,
large part of whose contour lies on the boundary of the van Kampen diagram.
Lemma 7.2 ([21], Cor. 4.4). Suppose that the group G is generated by a subset A
such that the Cayley graph Γ(G,A) is hyperbolic. Then for any 0 < λ ≤ 1 there is
µ0 > 0 such that for any µ ∈ (0, µ0] and c ≥ 0 there are ε0 ≥ 0 and ρ0 > 0 with the
following property.
Let the symmetrized presentation (7.2) satisfy the C1(ε0, µ, λ, c, ρ0)-condition.
Further, let ∆ be a reduced van Kampen diagram over G1 whose boundary contour
is (λ, c)-quasigeodesic in G. Then, provided ∆ has an R-cell, there exists an R-cell
Π in ∆ and an ε0-contiguity subdiagram Γ of Π to ∂∆, such that
(Π,Γ, ∂∆) > 1− 23µ.
The main application of this particular small cancellation condition is
Lemma 7.3 ([21], Lemmas 5.1 and 6.3). For any 0 < λ ≤ 1, c ≥ 0 and N > 0
there exist µ1 > 0, ε1 ≥ 0 and ρ1 > 0 such that for any symmetrized set of words
R satisfying C1(ε1, µ1, λ, c, ρ1)-condition the following hold.
1. The group G1 defined by (7.2) is hyperbolic relative to the collection of
images {η(Hi)}i∈I under the natural homomorphism η : G→ G1.
2. The restriction of η to the subset of elements having length at most N with
respect to A is injective.
3. Any element that has a finite order in G1 is an image of an element of
finite order in G.
Below is the principal lemma of this section that will later be used to prove
Theorem 1.5.
24 ASHOT MINASYAN
Lemma 7.4. Assume that G is a torsion-free group hyperbolic relative to a family
of proper subgroups {Hi}i∈I , X is a finite relative generating set of G, S is a suitable
subgroup of G and U ⊂ G is a finite subset. Suppose that i0 ∈ I, a ∈ Hi0 \ {1}
and v1, v2 ∈ G are hyperbolic elements which are not commensurable to each other.
Then there exists a word W (x, y) over the alphabet {x, y} such that the following is
true.
Denote w1 = W (a, v1) ∈ G, w2 = W (a, v2) ∈ G, and let 〈〈w2〉〉 be the normal
closure of w2 in G, G1 = G/〈〈w2〉〉 and η : G → G1 be the natural epimorphism.
• η is injective on {Hλ}λ∈Λ ∪ U and G1 is hyperbolic relative to the family
{η(Hλ)}λ∈Λ;
• η(S) is a suitable subgroup of G1;
• G1 is torsion-free;
• η(w1) 6= 1.
Proof. By Lemma 2.7 there are hyperbolic elements v3, v4 ∈ S such that vi
6≈ vj if
1 ≤ i < j ≤ 4. Then by Lemma 2.2, the group G is hyperbolic relative to the finite
collection of subgroups {Hi}i∈I ∪
j=1{EG(vj)}, and generated by the set
A = X ∪
EG(vj)
 \ {1}.
Let Ω ⊂ G and K ∈ N denote the finite subset and the constant achieved after an
application of Lemma 6.1 to this new collection of peripheral subgroups.
Define m = 7K, λ = 1/3, c = 2 and N = max{|u|A : u ∈ U} + 1. Choose
µj > 0, εj ≥ 0 and ρj > 0, j = 0, 1, according to the claims of Lemmas 7.2
and 7.3. Let ε = max{ε0, ε1}, and let L = L(C, d) > 0 be the constant given by
Lemma 6.5 where C = ε0 and d = 2. Evidently there exists n ∈ N such that, for
µ = (3ε+ 11)/n, one has
0 < µ ≤ min{µ0, µ1}, 2n(1− 23µ) > L, and 2n > max{ρ0, ρ1}.
F(ε) =
h ∈ 〈Ω〉 : |h| ≤ max{K(32ε+ 70),m}
Since the subset F(ε) is finite, we can find k ∈ N such that ak
1 , v
2 /∈ F(ε)
whenever k′ ≥ k. Consider the word
W (x, y) ≡ xkykxk+1yk+1 . . . xk+n−1yk+n−1.
Let wj ∈ G be the element represented by the wordW (a, vj) in G, j = 1, 2, and let
R be the set of all cyclic shifts ofW (a, v2) and their inverses. By Lemma 2.3, Hi0 ∩
EG(v2) = {1} because G is torsion-free, hence by [21, Thm. 7.5] the presentation
(7.2) satisfies the condition C1(ε, µ, 1/3, 2, 2n), and therefore, by Remark 7.1, it
satisfies the conditions C1(ε0, µ, 1/3, 2, ρ0) and C1(ε1, µ1, 1/3, 2, ρ1).
Observe that w1 6= 1 in G because, otherwise, there would have existed a closed
path q in Γ(G,A) labelled by the word W (a, v1), and, by part (a) of Lemma 6.3,
all components of q would have been regular in the cycle o = rqr′q′ (where r, r′, q′
are trivial paths), which is obviously impossible.
Denote G1 = G/〈〈w2〉〉 and let η : G → G1 be the natural epimorphism. Then,
according to Lemma 7.3, the group G1 is is torsion-free, hyperbolic relative to
{η(Hi)}i∈I∪
j=1{η(EG(vj))} and η is injective on the set
i∈I Hi∪
j=1 EG(vj)∪
GROUPS WITH FINITELY MANY CONJUGACY CLASSES 25
U (because the length in A of any element from this set is at most N). Since any
elementary group is word hyperbolic, G1 is also hyperbolic relative to {η(Hi)}i∈I
(by Lemma 2.4) and η(v3), η(v4) ∈ η(S) become hyperbolic elements of infinite or-
der in G1, that are not commensurable with each other (by Lemma 2.3). Therefore
EG1(η(v3)) ∩ EG2(η(v4)) = {1} (recall that these subgroups are cyclic by Lemma
2.2 and because G1 is torsion-free), and, consequently, η(S) is a suitable subgroup
of G1.
Suppose that η(w1) = 1. By van Kampen’s Lemma there exists a reduced
planar diagram ∆ over the presentation (7.2) with the wordW (a, v1) written on its
boundary. SinceW (a, v1)
6= 1, ∆ possesses at least one R-cell. It was proved in [21,
Lemma 7.1] that any path in Γ(G,A) labelled byW (a, v1) is (1/3, 2)-quasigeodesic,
hence we can apply Lemma 7.2 to find an R-cell Π of ∆ and an ε0-contiguity
subdiagram Γ (containing no R-cells) between Π and ∂∆ such that (Π,Γ, ∂∆) >
1− 23µ. Thus there exists a cycle o = rqr′q′ in Γ(G,A) such that q is labelled by a
subword of (a cyclic shift of) W (a, v2), q
′ is labelled by a subword of (a cyclic shift
of) W (a, v1)
±1, L(r),L(r′) ≤ ε0 = C and
L(q) > (1− 23µ) · L(∂Π) = (1− 23µ) · 2n > L.
In particular, Lab(q),Lab(q′) ∈ W(Ω,m). Therefore we can apply Lemma 6.5 to
find two consecutive components of q that are connected to some components of
q′. Due to the form of the word W (a, v2), one of the formers will have to be an
EG(v2)-component, but q
′ can have only EG(v1)- or Hi0 -components. This yields
a contradiction because EG(v2) 6= EG(v1) and EG(v2) 6= Hi0 . Hence η(w1) 6= 1 in
G1, and the proof is complete. �
8. Every group is a group of outer automorphisms of a (2CC)-group
Lemma 8.1. There exists a word R(x, y) over the two-letter alphabet {x, y} such
that every non-elementary torsion-free word hyperbolic group F1 has a non-elemen-
tary torsion-free word hyperbolic quotient F that is generated by two elements a, b ∈
F satisfying
(8.1) R(a, b)
6= 1, R(a−1, b−1)
= 1, R(b, a)
= 1, R(b−1, a−1)
Proof. Consider the word
R(x, y) ≡ xy101x2y102 . . . x100y200.
Denote by F (a, b) the free group with the free generators a, b. Let
R1 = {R(a, b), R(a
−1, b−1), R(b, a), R(b−1, a−1)},
and R2 be the set of all cyclic permutations of words from R
1 . It is easy to see
that the set R2 satisfies the classical small cancellation condition C
′(1/8) (see [10,
Ch. V]). Denote by Ñ the normal closure of the set
R3 = {R(a
−1, b−1), R(b, a), R(b−1, a−1)}
in F (a, b). Since the symmetrization of R3 also satisfies C
′(1/8), the group F̃ =
F (a, b)/Ñ is a torsion-free ([10, Thm. V.10.1]) word hyperbolic group (because it
has a finite presentation for which the Dehn function is linear by [10, Thm. V.4.4])
such that
R(a, b)
6= 1 but R(a−1, b−1)
= R(b, a)
= R(b−1, a−1)
26 ASHOT MINASYAN
Indeed, if the word R(a, b) were trivial in F̃ then, by Greendlinger’s Lemma [10,
Thm. V.4.4], it would contain more than a half of a relator from (the symmetriza-
tion of) R3 as a subword, which would contradict the fact that R2 enjoys C
′(1/8).
The group F̃ is non-elementary because every torsion-free elementary group is
cyclic, hence, abelian, but in any abelian group the relation R(a−1, b−1) = 1 implies
R(a, b) = 1.
Now, the free product G̃ = F̃ ∗F1 is a torsion-free hyperbolic group. Its subgroups
F̃ and F1 are non-elementary, hence, according to a theorem of Ol’shanskii [16,
Thm. 2], there exists a non-elementary torsion-free word hyperbolic group F and
a homomorphism φ : G̃ → F such that φ(F̃ ) = φ(F1) = F and φ(R(a, b)) 6= 1 in
F . Therefore F is a quotient of F1, the (φ-images of the) elements a, b generate F
and enjoy the required relations. �
We are now ready to prove Theorem 1.5.
Proof of Theorem 1.5. The argument will be similar to the one used to prove The-
orem 5.1.
First, set n = 2 and apply Lemma 4.2 to find a countable torsion-free group H
and a normal subgroup M ⊳H , where H/M ∼= C and M has (2CC) (alternatively,
one could start with a free group H ′ and M ′ ⊳H ′ such that H ′/M ′ ∼= C, and then
apply Lemma 4.4 to the pair (H ′,M ′) to obtain H and M with these properties).
Consider the word R(x, y) and the torsion-free hyperbolic group F , generated by
the elements a, b ∈ F which satisfy (8.1), given by Lemma 8.1. Denote G(−2) =
H ∗ F and let N(−2) be the normal closure of 〈M,F 〉 in G(−2), F (−2) = F ,
R(−2) = {R(a, b)} – a finite subset of F (−2). By Lemma 2.6, G(−2) will be
hyperbolic relative to the subgroup H , G(−2) = H ·N(−2), H ∩N(−2) =M and
F (−2) will be a suitable subgroup of G(−2).
The element a ∈ F (−2) will be hyperbolic in G(−2) and since the group G(−2)
is torsion-free, the maximal elementary subgroup EG(−2)(a) will be cyclic generated
by some element h−2x−2, where h−2 ∈ H , x−2 ∈ N(−2).
Choose y−2 ∈ M so that h−2y−2 6= 1. By Lemmas 2.2 and 2.5, the HNN-
extension
G(−3/2) = 〈G(−2), t−1 ‖ t−1h−2x−2t
−1 = h−2y−2〉
is hyperbolic relative to H . As in proof of Theorem 5.1, one can verify that F (−3)
is a suitable subgroup of G(−3/2), and apply Theorem 2.8 to find an epimorphism
η−2 : G(−3/2) → G(−1) such that G(−1) is a torsion-free group hyperbolic relative
to η−2(H), η−2 is injective on H ∪ R(−2) and η−2(t−1) ∈ F (−1) where F (−1) =
η−2(F (−2)) is a suitable subgroup of G(−1). Hence η−2(G(−2)) = G(−1) as
G(−3/2) was generated by G(−2) and t−1.
Denote N(−1) = η−2(N(−2)), R(−1) = η−2(R(−2)) and ψ−2 = η−2|G(−2) :
G(−2) ։ G(−1). One can show thatG(−1) = H ·N(−1) andH∩N(−1) =M using
the same arguments as in the proof of Theorem 5.1. According to the construction,
we have
η−2(t−1)η−2(a)η−2(t
−1) = η(t−1at
−1) ∈ N(−1) ∩H =M
in G(−1), therefore, since the conjugation by η−2(t−1) is an inner automorphism
of F (−1), we can assume that F (−1) is generated by a−1 and b−1, where a−1 ∈M
and R(a−1, b−1) 6= 1 in F (−1) (because η−2(R(a, b)) 6= 1 in F (−1)).
GROUPS WITH FINITELY MANY CONJUGACY CLASSES 27
Now, if b−1 is not a hyperbolic element of G(−1), i.e., if b−1
G(−1)
∼ c for some
c ∈ H , then c ∈ N(−1)∩H =M , and since M has (2CC) we can find s−1 ∈ G(−1)
such that b−1 = s−1a−1s
−1. In this case we define G(0) = G(−1), N(0) = N(−1),
F (0) = F (−1), R(0) = R(−1), a0 = a−1, s0 = s−1 and ψ−1 = idG(−1).
Otherwise, if b−1 is hyperbolic in G(−1), then we construct the group G(0),
and an epimorphism ψ−1 : G(−1) → G(0) in an analogous way, to make sure that
η−1 is injective on H ∪ R(−1), G(0) torsion-free and hyperbolic relative to (the
image of) H , F (0) = ψ−1(F (−1)) is a suitable subgroup of G(0), G(0) = H ·N(0)
and H ∩N(0) = M where N(0) = ψ−1(N(−1)), and b0 = s0a0s
0 in G(0) where
b0 = ψ−1(b−1), a0 = ψ−1(a−1) for some s0 ∈ G(0)
Enumerate all elements of N(0): {g0, g1, g2, . . . }, and of G(0): {q0, q1, q2, . . . },
so that g0 = q0 = 1.
The groups G(j) together with N(j)⊳G(j), F (j) ≤ G(j), finite subsets R(j) ⊂
G(j), and elements aj, sj ∈ G(j), j = 1, 2, . . . , that we will construct shall satisfy
the following properties:
1◦. for each j ∈ N there is an epimorphism ψj−1 : G(j − 1) → G(j) which is
injective on H ∪R(j− 1). F (j) = ψj−1(F (j − 1)), N(j) = ψj−1(N(j − 1)),
aj = ψj−1(aj−1) ∈M , sj = ψj−1(sj−1) ∈ G(j);
2◦. G(j) is torsion-free and hyperbolic relative to (the image of) H , and F (j) ≤
G(j) is a suitable subgroup generated by aj and sjajs
3◦. G(j) = H ·N(j), N(j)⊳G(j) and H ∩N(j) =M ;
4◦. the natural image ḡj of gj in G(j) belongs to F (j);
5◦. there exists zj ∈ H such that q̄j
∼ zj, where q̄j is the image of qj in G(j);
6◦. if j ≥ 1, q̄j−1 ∈ G(j − 1) \H and for each k̂ ∈ N there is k ≥ k̂ such that
akj−1sj−1a
G(j−1)
6≈ akj−1q̄j−1a
j−1q̄
j−1, then there is a word Rj−1(x, y)
over the two-letter alphabet {x, y} which satisfies
R(j) ∋ ψj−1
Rj−1(aj−1, sj−1aj−1s
6= 1 and
Rj−1(aj−1, q̄j−1aj−1q̄
=1 in G(j).
Suppose that the groups G(0), . . . , G(i) have already been defined. The group
G(i+ 1) will be constructed in three steps.
First, assume that q̄i ∈ G(i) \ H and for each k̂ ∈ N there is k ≥ k̂ such that
aki sia
6≈ aki q̄ia
i . Observe that si /∈ H because, otherwise, one would
have F (i) ⊂ H , which is impossible as F (i) is suitable in G(i). Therefore, by
Corollary 6.6, we can suppose that k is so large that the elements v1 = a
i sia
and v2 = a
i q̄ia
i are hyperbolic in G(i). Applying Lemma 7.4 we can find a
word W (x, y) over {x, y} such that the group G(i+ 1/3) = G(i)/〈〈W (ai, v2)〉〉 and
the natural epimorphism η : G(i) → G(i + 1/3) satisfy the following: η is injective
on H ∪ R(i), G(i + 1/3) is torsion-free and hyperbolic relative to (the image of)
H , η(F (i)) ≤ G(i + 1/3) is a suitable subgroup, and η(W (ai, v1)) 6= 1. Define the
word Ri(x, y) ≡ W (x, x
kyk). Then Ri(ai, siais
i ) = W (ai, v1), Ri(ai, q̄iaiq̄
i ) =
W (ai, v2) in G(i), hence
Ri(ai, siais
6= 1 and η
Ri(ai, q̄iaiq̄
= 1 in G(i + 1/3).
28 ASHOT MINASYAN
If, on the other hand, q̄i ∈ H or there is k̂ ∈ N such that for every k ≥ k̂ one has
aki sia
≈ aki q̄ia
i , then we define G(i+ 1/3) = G(i), η : G(i) → G(i+ 1/3)
to be the identical homomorphism and Ri(x, y) to be the empty word.
Let ĝi+1 and q̂i+1 denote the images of gi+1 and qi+1 in G(i + 1/3), N̂(i) =
η(N(i)), F̂ (i) = η(F (i)) and R̂(i) = η
R(i) ∪ {Ri(ai, siais
. Then, using 3◦,
we get G(i + 1/3) = H · N̂(i) and H ∩ N̂(i) = M because ker(η) ≤ N(i) (as
ai, q̄iaiq̄
i ∈ N(i)).
Now we construct the group G(i + 2/3) in exactly the same way as the group
G(i+ 1/2) was constructed in during the proof of Theorem 5.1.
If for some f ∈ G(i + 1/3), f q̂i+1f
−1 = z ∈ H , then set G(i + 2/3) = G(i),
Ki+1 = N̂(i)⊳G(i + 2/3) and ti+1 = 1.
Otherwise, q̂i+1 is a hyperbolic element of infinite order in G(i + 1/3). Since
G(i + 1/3) is torsion-free, one has EG(i+1/3)(q̂i+1) = 〈hx〉 for some h ∈ H and
x ∈ N̂(i), and there is m ∈ Z such that q̂i+1 = (hx)
m. Now, by Lemma 2.2,
G(i + 1/3) is hyperbolic relative to {H, 〈hx〉}. Choose y ∈ M so that hy 6= 1 and
let G(i+ 2/3) be the following HNN-extension of G(i + 1/3):
G(i + 2/3) = 〈G(i + 1/3), ti+1 ‖ ti+1(hx)t
i+1 = hy〉.
The group G(i + 2/3) is torsion-free and hyperbolic relative to H by Lemma 2.5.
One can show that F̂ (i) is a suitable subgroup of G(i + 2/3) in the same way as
during the proof of Theorem 5.1. Lemma 4.3 assures that H ∩Ki+1 = M where
Ki+1 ⊳G(i+ 2/3) is the normal closure of 〈N̂(i), ti+1〉 in G(i+2/3). Finally, note
ti+1q̂i+1t
i+1 = ti+1(hx)
mt−1i+1 = (hy)
m = z ∈ H in G(i + 2/3).
Define Ti+1 = {ĝi+1, ti+1} ⊂ Ki+1. The group G(i + 1) is constructed from
G(i+2/3) as follows. Since Ti+1 · F̂ (i) ⊂ Ki+1⊳G(i+2/3), we can apply Theorem
2.8 to find a group G(i + 1) and an epimorphism ϕi : G(i + 2/3) → G(i + 1) such
that ϕi is injective on H ∪ R̂(i), G(i + 1) is torsion-free and hyperbolic relative to
(the image of) H , {ϕi(ĝi+1), ϕi(ti+1)} ⊂ ϕi(F̂ (i)), ϕi(F̂ (i)) is a suitable subgroup
of G(i + 1), and ker(ϕi) ≤ Ki+1. Denote by ψi : G(i) → G(i + 1) the composition
ϕi ◦ η. Then ψi(G(i)) = ϕi(G(i)) = G(i + 1) because G(i + 2/3) was generated
by G(i) and ti+1, and according to the construction, ti+1 ∈ ϕi(F̂ (i)) ≤ ϕi(G(i)).
Now, after defining F (i+1) = ψi(F (i)), N(i+1) = ψi(N(i)), R(i+1) = ϕi(R̂(i)),
ḡi+1 = ϕi(ĝi+1) ∈ F (i+1) and zi+1 = ϕi(z) ∈ H , we see that the conditions 1
◦ - 5◦
hold in the case when j = i+ 1, as in the proof of Theorem 5.1. The last property
6◦ follows from the way we constructed the group G(i + 1/3).
Let Q = G(∞) be the direct limit of the sequence (G(i), ψi) as i → ∞, and let
F (∞) and N = N(∞) be the limits of the corresponding subgroups. Let a∞, b∞
and s∞ be the images of a0, b0 and s0 in Q respectively. Then b∞ = s∞a∞s
∞ , Q
is torsion-free by 2◦, N ⊳Q, Q = H ·N and H ∩N =M by 3◦, N ≤ F (∞) by 4◦.
Hence Q/N ∼= H/M ∼= C.
Since F (0) ≤ N(0) we get F (∞) ≤ N . Thus N = F (∞) is a homomorphic
image of F (0) = F , and, consequently, it is a quotient of F1. By 5
◦, for any q ∈ N
there are z ∈ H and p ∈ Q such that pqp−1 = z. Consequently z ∈ H ∩ N = M .
Choose x ∈ N and h ∈ H so that p = hx. Since M has (2CC) and h−1zh ∈ M ,
there is y ∈ M such that yh−1zhy−1 = z, therefore (yx)q(yx)−1 = z ∈ M and
GROUPS WITH FINITELY MANY CONJUGACY CLASSES 29
yx ∈ MN = N . Hence each element q of N will be conjugated (in N) to an
element ofM , and since M has (2CC), therefore the group N will also have (2CC).
The property that CQ(N) = {1} can be established in the same way as in
Theorem 5.1. Therefore the natural homomorphism Q → Aut(N) is injective. It
remains to show that it is surjective, that is for every φ ∈ Aut(N) there is g ∈ Q
such that φ(x) = gxg−1 for every x ∈ N . Since all non-trivial elements of N are
conjugated, after composing φ with an inner automorphism of N , we can assume
that φ(a∞) = a∞. On the other hand, there exist q∞ ∈ N and i ∈ N such that
φ(b∞) = q∞a∞q
∞ and q∞ is the image of qi in Q. Note that s∞ /∈ H because
si ∈ G(i) \ H for every i ∈ N. This implies that H is a proper subgroup of N ,
thus q∞ /∈ H since N = F (∞) = 〈a∞, q∞a∞q
∞ 〉 ≤ Q, and a∞ ∈ H . Hence
q̄i ∈ G(i) \H .
Now we have to consider two possibilities.
Case 1: for each k̂ ∈ N there is k ≥ k̂ such that
aki sia
6≈ aki q̄ia
Then there is a word Ri(x, y) such that the property 6
◦ holds for j = i + 1. And,
since each ψj is injective on {1} ∪Rj (by 2
◦), we conclude that
Ri(a∞, s∞a∞s
∞ ) 6= 1 and Ri(a∞, q∞a∞q
∞ ) = 1 in Q,
which contradicts the injectivity of φ. Hence Case 1 is impossible.
Case 2: the assumptions of Case 1 fail. Then we can use Lemma 6.7 to find
β, γ ∈ H and ǫ, ξ ∈ {−1, 1} such that q̄i = γs
iβ, βaiβ
−1 = aǫi and γ
−1aiγ = a
in G(i). Denote by γ∞ the image γ in Q, and for any y ∈ Q let Cy be the
automorphism of N defined by Cy(x) = yxy
−1 for all x ∈ N .
If ξ = −1 then γ−1∞ a∞γ∞ = a
∞ and φ(b∞) = q∞a∞q
∞ = γ∞s
hence
Aut(N) ∋ Cs∞γ−1∞ ◦ φ :
a∞ 7→ s∞a
∞ = b
b∞ = s∞a∞s
∞ 7→ a
But N has no such automorphisms because R(a∞, b∞) 6= 1 and R(b
∞) = 1 in
N (since N is a quotient of F and 1 6= R(a0, b0) ∈ R(0) in G(0)).
Therefore ξ = 1. Similarly, ǫ = 1, as otherwise we would obtain a contradiction
with the fact that R(a−1∞ , b
∞ ) = 1 in N . Thus
Aut(N) ∋ Cγ−1∞ ◦ φ :
a∞ 7→ a∞
b∞ = s∞a∞s
∞ 7→ s∞a∞s
∞ = b∞
And since a∞ and b∞ generate N we conclude that for all x ∈ N , φ(x) = gxg
where g = γ∞ ∈ Q. Thus the natural homomorphism fromQ to Aut(N) is bijective,
implying that Out(N) = Aut(N)/Inn(N) ∼= Q/N ∼= C. Q.e.d. �
References
[1] G. Arzhantseva, A. Minasyan, D. Osin, The SQ-universality and residual properties of rela-
tively hyperbolic groups, J. Algebra 315 (2007), no. 1, 165-177.
[2] I. Belegradek, D. Osin, Rips construction and Kazhdan property (T), preprint (2006). arXiv:
math.GR/0605553
[3] I. Bumagin, D.T. Wise, Every group is an outer automorphism group of a finitely generated
group, J. Pure Appl. Algebra 200 (2005), no. 1-2, 137-147.
[4] R. Camm, Simple Free Products, J. London Math. Soc. 28 (1953), 66-76.
http://arxiv.org/abs/math/0605553
30 ASHOT MINASYAN
[5] Y. de Cornulier, Finitely presentable, non-Hopfian groups with Kazhdan’s Property and infi-
nite outer automorphism group, Proc. Amer. Math. Soc. 135 (2007), no. 4, 951-959.
[6] P. de la Harpe, A. Valette, La propriété (T) de Kazhdan pour les groupes localement compacts,
(avec un appendice de Marc Burger). Astérisque 175, 1989.
[7] M. Droste, M. Giraudet, R. Göbel, All groups are outer automorphism groups of simple
groups, J. London Math. Soc. (2) 64 (2001), no 3, 565-575.
[8] G. Higman, B.H. Neumann, H. Neumann, Embedding theorems for groups, J. London Math.
Soc. 24 (1949), 247-254.
[9] The Kourovka notebook. Unsolved problems in group theory, 16th augmented edition, V. D.
Mazurov and E. I. Khukhro eds., Rossĭıskaya Akademiya Nauk, Sibirskoe Otdelenie, Insti-
tut Matematiki (Siberian branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Mathematical Institute),
Novosibirsk, 2006.
[10] R. Lyndon and P. Schupp, Combinatorial Group Theory, Springer-Verlag, 1977.
[11] T. Matumoto, Any group is represented by an outer automorphism group, Hiroshima Math.
J. 19 (1989), no. 1, 209-219.
[12] A. Muranov, Diagrams with selection and method for constructing boundedly generated and
boundedly simple groups, Comm. Algebra 33 (2005), no. 4, 1217-1258.
[13] A. Muranov, Finitely generated infinite simple groups of infinite commutator width, Int. J.
Algebra Comput. 17 (2007), no. 3, 607-659.
[14] Y. Ollivier, D.T. Wise, Kazhdan groups with infinite outer automorphism group, Trans. Amer.
Math. Soc. 359 (2007), no. 5, 1959-1976.
[15] A.Yu. Ol’shanskii, Geometry of defining relations in groups, Moscow, Nauka, 1989 (in Rus-
sian); English translation in Mathematics and its Applications (Soviet Series), 70. Kluwer
Academic Publishers Group, Dordrecht, 1991.
[16] A.Yu. Ol’shanskii, On residualing homomorphisms and G-subgroups of hyperbolic groups,
Internat. J. Algebra Comput. 3, no. 4 (1993), 365-409.
[17] D.V. Osin, Elementary subgroups of relatively hyperbolic groups and bounded generation,
Internat. J. Algebra Comput. 16 (2006), no. 1, 99-118.
[18] D.V. Osin, Peripheral fillings of relatively hyperbolic groups, Invent. Math. 167 (2007), no. 2,
295-326.
[19] D.V. Osin, Relative Dehn functions of HNN-extensions and amalgamated products, Topo-
logical and asymptotic aspects of group theory, Contemp. Math. 394, 209-220, Amer. Math.
Soc., Providence, RI, 2006.
[20] D.V. Osin, Relatively hyperbolic groups: intrinsic geometry, algebraic properties, and algo-
rithmic problems, Mem. Amer. Math. Soc. 179 (2006), no. 843, vi+100 pp.
[21] D.V. Osin, Small cancellations over relatively hyperbolic groups and embedding theorems,
Annals of Math., to appear. arXiv: math.GR/0411039
[22] F. Paulin, Outer automorphisms of hyperbolic groups and small actions on R-trees, Arboreal
Group Theory (MSRI, Berkeley, 1988), R.C. Alperin ed., Math. Sci. Res. Inst. Publ. 19,
Springer, New York, 1991.
School of Mathematics, University of Southampton, Highfield, Southampton, SO17
1BJ, United Kingdom.
E-mail address: aminasyan@gmail.com
http://arxiv.org/abs/math/0411039
	1. Introduction
	2. Relatively hyperbolic groups
	3. Groups with finitely many conjugacy classes
	4. Normal subgroups with (nCC)
	5. Adding finite generation
	6. Combinatorics of paths in relatively hyperbolic groups
	7. Small cancellation over relatively hyperbolic groups
	8. Every group is a group of outer automorphisms of a (2CC)-group
	References
