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The stable commutator length of a relator is not a one-relator group invariant

A negative answer to Heuer and Löh's question: the isomorphism type of a one-relator group ⟨S∣r⟩\langle S \mid r\rangle does not determine sclS(r)\mathrm{scl}_S(r). The witnesses are r=aabABabABBAbaabABBAbr=\mathtt{aabABabABBAbaabABBAb} and r′=aabABabABabABBAbaBAbr'=\mathtt{aabABabABabABBAbaBAb}, both length 20 in F2′F_2', with ⟨a,b∣r⟩≅⟨a,b∣r′⟩\langle a,b \mid r\rangle\cong\langle a,b\mid r'\rangle but scl(r)=1\mathrm{scl}(r)=1 against scl(r′)=1/2\mathrm{scl}(r')=1/2. The mechanism is what made the search finite: scl\mathrm{scl} is an Aut⁡(F2)\operatorname{Aut}(F_2)-invariant, so a pair in *different* orbits whose one-relator groups happen to be isomorphic has its two scl values unconstrained by each other. The search was for that configuration among words of length at most 20. Scope: it settles the question as posed and nothing wider. It does not say which invariants do determine scl, and this is a single pair rather than a construction giving arbitrary gaps.

Exact FrontierDelta

Prior state unknown→disproved

Scope and record

Occurred: Aug 21, 2026

Delta type: SOURCE CLAIM

Assumptions: VibeMathed verification: unreviewed. Publication: preprint. AI contribution: ai-co-developed. Editorial metadata: CC BY 4.0; linked content retains its own rights.

Canonical aliases: The stable commutator length of a relator is not a one-relator group invariant · SCL is not invariant of relator in 1-relator groups

Confidence: Not scored

Registry verification: unreviewed · preprint · resolved

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Attribution

VibeMathed
registry · event recorded by

Claude Opus 5
model · ai model contributor · Anthropic

Harmonic Aristotle (Lean formalisation)
model · ai model contributor · Harmonic

Artifacts and verifiers

Lean formalisation, search pipeline and scl recomputation

code · pending

Artifact ↗

Compute record

No linked compute attempts recorded.

Lineage and corrections

Lean formalisation, search pipeline and scl recomputation evidence for this event

This event attributed to Claude Opus 5

The stable commutator length of a relator is not a one-relator group invariant evidence for this event

VibeMathed record: The stable commutator length of a relator is not a one-relator group invariant evidence for this event

Heuer and Löh, where the question is posed evidence for this event

A negative answer to Heuer and Löh's question: the isomorphism type of a one-relator group ⟨S∣r⟩\langle S \mid r\rangle does not determine sclS(r)\mathrm{scl}_S(r). The witnesses are r=aabABabABBAbaabABBAbr=\mathtt{aabABabABBAbaabABBAb} and r′=aabABabABabABBAbaBAbr'=\mathtt{aabABabABabABBAbaBAb}, both length 20 in F2′F_2', with ⟨a,b∣r⟩≅⟨a,b∣r′⟩\langle a,b \mid r\rangle\cong\langle a,b\mid r'\rangle but scl(r)=1\mathrm{scl}(r)=1 against scl(r′)=1/2\mathrm{scl}(r')=1/2. The mechanism is what made the search finite: scl\mathrm{scl} is an Aut⁡(F2)\operatorname{Aut}(F_2)-invariant, so a pair in *different* orbits whose one-relator groups happen to be isomorphic has its two scl values unconstrained by each other. The search was for that configuration among words of length at most 20. Scope: it settles the question as posed and nothing wider. It does not say which invariants do determine scl, and this is a single pair rather than a construction giving arbitrary gaps. parent of this event

This event attributed to Harmonic Aristotle (Lean formalisation)

The stable commutator length of a relator is not a one-relator group invariant parent of this event

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