Free Subgroups in the Unit Groups of Integral Group Rings

Abstract

Let G be a group, ZG the group ring of G over the ring Z of integers, and U(ZG) the group of units of ZG. One method of investigating U(ZG) is to choose some property of groups and try to determine the groups G such that U(ZG) enjoys that property. For example Sehgal and Zassenhaus [9] have given necessary and sufficient conditions for U(ZG) to be nilpotent (see also [7]), and the same authors have investigated when U(ZG) is an FC (finite-conjugate) group [10]. For a survey of related questions, see [3]. In this paper we consider when U(ZG) contains a free subgroup of rank 2. We conjecture that if this does not happen, then every finite subgroup of G is normal, from which various other conclusions then follow (see Lemma 4).