On certain questions of the free group automorphisms theory

Abstract

Certain subgroups of the groups $Aut(F_n)$ of automorphisms of a free group $F_n$ are considered. Comparing Alexander polynomials of two poly-free groups $Cb_4^+$ and $P_4$ we prove that these groups are not isomorphic, despite the fact that they have a lot of common properties. This answers the question of Cohen-Pakianathan-Vershinin-Wu from \cite{CVW}. The questions of linearity of subgroups of $Aut(F_n)$ are considered. As an application of the properties of poison groups in the sense of Formanek and Procesi, we show that the groups of the type $Aut(G*\mathbb Z)$ for certain groups $G$ and the subgroup of $IA$-automorphisms $IA(F_n)\subset Aut(F_n)$ are not linear for $n\geq 3$. This generalizes the recent result of Pettet that $IA(F_n)$ are not linear for $n\geq 5$.