Homology and derived series of groups

Abstract

In 1964, John Stallings established an important relationship between the low-dimensional homology of a group and its lower central series. We establish a similar relationship between the low-dimensional homology of a group and its derived series. We also define a torsion-free-solvable completion of a group that is analogous to the Malcev completion, with the role of the lower central series replaced by the derived series. We prove that the torsion-free-solvable completion is invariant under rational homology equivalence.