Published online by Cambridge University Press: 16 October 2000
This paper gives an algebraic conjecture which is shown to be equivalent to Thurston's Geometrization Conjecture for closed, orientable 3-manifolds. It generalizes the Stallings–Jaco theorem which established a similar result for the Poincaré Conjecture. The paper also gives two other algebraic conjectures; one is equivalent to the finite fundamental group case of the Geometrization Conjecture and the other is equivalent to the union of the Geometrization Conjecture and Thurston's Virtual Bundle Conjecture.