On normal subgroups in automorphism groups

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Abstract We describe the structure of virtually solvable normal subgroups in the automorphism group of a right-angled Artin group Aut ⁢ ( A Γ ) \mathrm{Aut}(A_{\Gamma}) . In particular, we prove that a finite normal subgroup in Aut ⁢ ( A Γ ) \mathrm{Aut}(A_{\Gamma}) has at most order two and if Γ is not a clique, then any finite normal subgroup in Aut ⁢ ( A Γ ) \mathrm{Aut}(A_{\Gamma}) is trivial. This property has implications for automatic continuity and C ∗ C^{\ast} -algebras: every algebraic epimorphism φ : L ↠ Aut ⁢ ( A Γ ) \varphi\colon L\twoheadrightarrow\mathrm{Aut}(A_{\Gamma}) from a locally compact Hausdorff group 𝐿 is continuous if and only if A Γ A_{\Gamma} is not isomorphic to Z n \mathbb{Z}^{n} for any n ≥ 1 n\geq 1 . Furthermore, if Γ is not a join and contains at least two vertices, then the set of invertible elements is dense in the reduced group C ∗ C^{\ast} -algebra of Aut ⁢ ( A Γ ) \mathrm{Aut}(A_{\Gamma}) . We obtain similar results for Aut ⁢ ( G Γ ) \mathrm{Aut}(G_{\Gamma}) , where G Γ G_{\Gamma} is a graph product of cyclic groups. Moreover, we give a description of the center of Aut ⁢ ( G Γ ) \mathrm{Aut}(G_{\Gamma}) in terms of the defining graph Γ.