The second integral homology of ${\text{SL}}_2(\mathbb{Z}[1/n])$

Abstract

In this article, we explore the second integral homology, or Schur multiplier, of the special linear group ${\text{SL}}_2(\mathbb{Z}[1/n])$ for a positive integer $n$. We definitively calculate the group structure of $H_2({\text{SL}}_2(\mathbb{Z}[1/n]),\mathbb{Z})$ when $n$ is divisible by one of the primes $2$, $3$, $5$, $7$ or $13$. For a general $n>1$, we offer a partial description by placing the homology group within an exact sequence, and we investigate its rank. Finally, we propose a conjectural structure for $H_2({\text{SL}}_2(\mathbb{Z}[1/n]),\mathbb{Z})$ when $n$ is not divisible by any of those specific primes.