Branched covers of elliptic curves and K\"ahler groups with exotic finiteness properties

Abstract

We construct K\"ahler groups with arbitrary finiteness properties by mapping products of closed Riemann surfaces holomorphically onto an elliptic curve: for each $r\geq 3$, we obtain large classes of K\"ahler groups that have classifying spaces with finite $(r-1)$-skeleton but do not have classifying spaces with finitely many $r$-cells. We describe invariants which distinguish many of these groups. Our construction is inspired by examples of Dimca, Papadima and Suciu.