On the notion of canonical dimension for algebraic groups

We define and study a numerical invariant of an algebraic group action which we call the canonical dimension. We then apply the resulting theory to the problem of computing the minimal number of parameters required to define a generic hypersurface of degree d in P^n-1.     

Essential dimension of algebraic groups,including bad characteristic

Let A and G be finite groups of relatively prime orders and assume that A acts on G via automorphisms. We study how certain conditions on G imply its solvability when we assume the existence of a unique A-invariant Sylow p-subgroup for p equal to 2 or 3.     

On the equations defining irreducible algebraic groups

Abstract

We consider five known problems concerning positive laws in groups. One of them has a counterexample, the others are open in general. It is shown that three of the problems are equivalent and all of them have a positive solution in the class of locally graded groups.     

On character groups arising from dimension groups

Character groups associated with certain dimension groups are considered. It is shown how these character groups can be used to construct an AF groupoid whose dimension group is isomorphic to the original dimension group.

     

On the automorphism groups of algebraic bounded domains

This paper is a part of author's doctoral thesis. It was partially supported by Sonderforschungsbereich 237 Unordnung und große Fluktuatuionen of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft     

The Jordan property of Cremona groups and essential dimension

We use a recent advance in birational geometry to prove new lower bounds on the essential dimension of some finite groups.     

Application of multihomogeneous covariants to the essential dimension of finite groups

We investigate the essential dimension of finite groups using the multihomogenization technique introduced in [KLS09], for which we provide new applications in a more general setting. We generalize the central extension theorem of Buhler and Reichstein [BR97, Theorem 5.3] and use multihomogenization as a substitute to the stackinvolved part of the theorem of Karpenko and Merkurjev [KM08] about the essential dimension of p-groups.     

On arithmetic subgroups of simple algebraic groups

Arithmetic subgroups of simple isotropic algebraic groups are described as subgroups full of root elements.     

On the essential dimension of a finite group

Let f(x) = aixi be a monic polynomial of degree n whosecoefficients are algebraically independent variables over a base field k of characteristic 0. We say that a polynomial g(x) isgenerating (for the symmetric group) if it can be obtained from f(x) by a nondegenerate Tschirnhaus transformation. We show that the minimal number dk(n) of algebraically independent coefficients of such a polynomial is at least [n/2]. This generalizes a classical theorem of Felix Klein on quintic polynomials and is related to an algebraic form of Hilberts 13th problem.Our approach to this question (and generalizations) is basedon the idea of the essential dimension of a finite group G:the smallest possible dimension of an algebraic G-variety over k to which one can compress a faithful linear representation of G. We show that dk(n) is just the essential dimension of the symmetricgroup Sn. We give results on the essential dimension ofother groups. In the last section we relate the notion of essential dimension to versal polynomials and discuss their relationship to the generic polynomials of Kuyk, Saltman and DeMeyer.