algebra / Group theory, Geometric group theory

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

Let S,SS,S' be sets and let rF(S){e}r\in F(S)'\setminus\{e\}, rF(S){e}r'\in F(S')'\setminus\{e\} be relators with S    rS    r\langle {S} \; | \; {r} \rangle \cong\langle{S'} \;| \; {r'}\rangle. Does this imply that sclSr=sclSr\text{scl}_S r=\text{scl}_{S'}r'?

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algebraAug 21, 2026Significance 18/100Registry: unreviewed

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

Prior state unknowndisproved

A negative answer to Heuer and Löh's question: the isomorphism type of a one-relator group Sr\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 F2F_2', with a,bra,br\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 ma…

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Let S,SS,S' be sets and let rF(S){e}r\in F(S)'\setminus\{e\}, rF(S){e}r'\in F(S')'\setminus\{e\} be relators with S    rS    r\langle {S} \; | \; {r} \rangle \cong\langle{S'} \;| \; {r'}\rangle. Does this imply that sclSr=sclSr\text{scl}_S r=\text{scl}_{S'}r'?

A negative answer to Heuer and Löh's question: the isomorphism type of a one-relator group Sr\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 F2F_2', with a,bra,br\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.

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  • Let S,SS,S' be sets and let rF(S){e}r\in F(S)'\setminus\{e\}, rF(S){e}r'\in F(S')'\setminus\{e\} be relators with S    rS    r\langle {S} \; | \; {r} \rangle \cong\langle{S'} \;| \; {r'}\rangle. Does this imply that…

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The stable commutator length of a relator is not a one-relator group invariant — Mathematical Frontier Network