TITLE: Small-index subgroups of SL(3,Z)
QUESTION [20 upvotes]: I would like to know the smallest-index subgroups of ${\rm SL}(3,\mathbb{Z})$.
The smallest I could find has even entries $a_{3,1}$ and $a_{3,2}$,
along the bottom row.  I could not figure out whether there are
subgroups of index $2$ or $3$.
A search found lots of information about ${\rm SL}(2,\mathbb{Z})$,
but not about ${\rm SL}(3,\mathbb{Z})$.

REPLY [9 votes]: You don't need the congruence subgroup property to see that this group has no proper subgroups of index less than $7$, in other words that it has no nontrivial homomorphism to $S_6$. 
Nor do you need a presentation of the group; all you need is that it is generated by six elements satisfying certain relations, and a little patience.
Let $x_{i,j}$ be the matrix with $1$ on the diagonal, $1$ in the $(i,j)$, spot, and $0$ otherwise. It is not hard to see, by row reduction, that $SL(3,\mathbb Z)$ is generated by these elements. When $i$, $j$, and $k$ are distinct then $x_{i,j}$ is the commutator of $x_{i,k}$ and $x_{k,j}$, and also $x_{i,j}$ commutes with $x_{i,k}$ and with $x_{k,j}$.
Now suppose for contradiction that $S_6$ has elements $x_{i,j}$ satisfying these same relations and not all equal to the identity. No $x_{i,j}$ can be the identity because then by taking commutators they all would be the identity. Being a commutator, $x_{i,j}$ must belong to $A_6$. It is the commutator of $x_{i,k}$ and $x_{k,j}$, two elements of $A_6$ that commute with it. Looking at all cases, you see that the only nontrivial elements of $A_6$ whose centralizers are nonabelian are those of the form $(ab)(cd)$, product of two disjoint $2$-cycles. If $x_{i,j}=(ab)(cd)$ then $x_{i,k}$ and $x_{k,j}$ must be elements of its centralizer and again of the same type. But the only such elements are $(ab)(cd)$, $(ac)(bd)$, $(ad)(bc)$, $(ab)(ef)$, and $(cd)(ef)$. There are only a few possibilities for pairs of these whose commutator is $(ab)(cd)$. You'll find that none of them will lead to a solution, a choice of $x_{i,j}$ for all $i$ and $j$.