On the genus of infinite groups
  We associate to each finite presentation of a group G a compact CW-complex that is a 3-manifold in the complement of a point, and whose fundamental group is isomorphic to G. We use this complex to define a notion of genus for G and give examples, and also define a notion of `closed group'. A group has genus 0 if and only if it is the fundamental group of a compact orientable 3-manifold. 
Iain Aitchison and Lawrence Reeves
math.GR