I will discuss joint work with S. Galatius and A. Kupers in which we investigate the homology of general linear groups over a ring $A$ by considering the collection of all their classifying spaces as a graded $E_\infty$-algebra. I will first explain diverse results that we obtained in this investigation, which can be understood without reference to $E_\infty$-algebras but which seem unrelated to each other: I will then explain how the point of view of cellular $E_\infty$-algebras unites them.

I will introduce the Friedl-Tillmann polytope for one-relator groups, and then discuss how it can be generalised to the Friedl-Lück polytope, how it connects to the Thurston polytope, and how we can view it as a convenient source of intuition and ideas.