In this thesis we shall consider two topics that are contained in combinatorial group theory and concern properties of finitely presented groups. The first problem we examine is that of calculating the Fibonacci length of certain families of finitely presented groups. In pursuing this we come across ideas and unsolved problems from number theory. We mainly concentrate on finding the Fibonacci length of powers of dihedral groups, certain Fibonacci groups and a family of metacyclic groups. The second problem we investigate in this thesis is finding if the group PGL(2, p), for p a prime, is efficient on a minimal generating set. We find various presentations that define PGL(2,p) or C2 x PSL(2,p) and direct products of these groups. As in the previous sections we come across number theoretic problems. We also have occasion to use results from tensor theory and homological algebra in order to obtain our results.

This thesis is concerned with a topic in combinatorial group theory and, in particular, with a study of some groups with finite presentations. After preliminary definitions and theorems we describe the Todd-Coxeter coset enumeration algorithm and the modified Todd-Coxeter algorithm which shows that, given a finitely generated subgroup H of finite index in a finitely presented group G, we can find a presentation for H. We then give elementary examples illustrating the algorithms and include a discussion on the computer programmes that are to be used. In the main part of the thesis we investigate two classes of cyclically presented groups. Supposewhere w1 = w is a word in a1,a2,...,an, and wi+1 is obtained from wi by applying the permutation (1 2 ... n) to the suffices of the a's. The first class we investigate are the groups that is the groups G(l,m,n) are groups of type G2 (w). Secondly we investigate the Fibonacci-type groups H(r,n,k,s,h) obtained when, for some integers r,s,h > 1, k > O, the word w is given by Fibonacci groups being the special case given by k = s = h = 1. For both classes we begin by giving some homomorphisms and isomorphisms that may be obtained. We show, using the Todd-Coxeter algorithm when appropriate, that the six groups G(2,2,3), G(2,2,-3), G(-l,-l,4), G(2,3,-2), G(-2,2,-1) and G(-2,3,l) are finite non-metacyclic groups of deficiency zero, having orders 215.33, 28.33, 29.3.5, 23.33.7, 23.3.5.11 amd 23.36 respectively. We also show that the groups G(1-n, 6, n) where n = 1 mod 5 give an infinite series of non-metacyclic groups. We consider the structure of the non-metacyclic groups H(3,6,1,1,1) and H(3,6,5,l,2) both of order 1512, showing that neither is isomorphic to G(2, 3, -2) another non-metacyclic group of order 1512. In a paper on the Fibonacci groups D.L. Johnson, J.W. Wamsley and D. Wright pose two questions relating to the Fibonacci groups for the case r = 1 mod n, namely to find 2-generator 2-relation presentations for them and also their orders. We answer these questions and generalise the results to the class H(r,n,k,s,1) where it is shown that H(r,n,k,s,1) is metacyclic if (i) r = s mod n, (ii) (r,n) = 1, (iii) (r + k - 1, n) - 1, and a 2-generator 2-relation presentation is found for these groups. Further if (iv) (r,s) = 1, then we show that H(r,n,k,s,1) is a finite metacyclic group of order rn - sn. A possible generalisation to the groups H(r,n,k,s,h) is considered. Finally the metacyclic groups H(r,4,1,2,1), r odd are discussed.