The linearity problem for the unitriangular automorphism groups of free groups

Abstract

We prove that the unitriangular automorphism group of a free group of rank $n$ has a faithful representation by matrices over a field, or in other words, it is a linear group, if and only if $n \leq 3.$ Thus, we have completed a description of relatively free groups with linear the unitriangular automorphism groups. This description was initiated by Erofeev and the author in \cite{Erofeev}, where proper varieties of groups have been considered.