Splitting obstructions and properties of objects in the Nil categories
We show that the objects of Bass-Farrell categories which represent 0 in the corresponding Nil groups are precisely those which are stably triangular. This extends to Waldhausen's Nil group of the amalgamated free product with index 2 factors. Applications include a description of Cappell's special UNil group and reformulations of those splitting and fibering theorems which use the Nil groups.