Group distance magic and antimagic graphs

Given a graph G with n vertices and an Abelian group A of order n, an A-distance antimagic labelling of G is a bijection from V (G) to A such that the vertices of G have pairwise distinct weights, where the weight of a vertex is the sum (under the operation of A) of the labels assigned to its neighbours. An A-distance magic labelling of G is a bijection from V (G) to A such that the weights of all vertices of G are equal to the same element of A. In this paper we study these new labellings under a general setting with a focus on product graphs. We prove among other things several general results on group antimagic or magic labellings for Cartesian, direct and strong products of graphs. As applications we obtain several families of graphs admitting group distance antimagic or magic labellings with respect to elementary Abelian groups, cyclic groups or direct products of such groups.     

Note: A conjecture on partitions of groups

We conjecture that every infinite group G can be partitioned into countably many cells \(G = \bigcup\limits_{n \in \omega } {A_n }\) such that cov(A _n A _n ^?1 ) = |G| for each n ∈ ω Here cov(A) = min{|X|: X} ? G, G = X A}. We confirm this conjecture for each group of regular cardinality and for some groups (in particular, Abelian) of an arbitrary cardinality.     

Solution of the Cameron-Erdös problem for groups of prime order

A subset A of a group G is sum-free if a + b does not belong to A for any a, b ∈ A. Asymptotics of the number of sum-free sets in groups of prime order are proved.     

Semigroup graded algebras and graded PI-exponent

Let S be a semigroup. We study the structure of graded-simple S-graded algebras A and the exponential rate PIexp ^S-gr(A):= lim_n→∞ \(\sqrt[n]{{c_n^{S - gr}\left( A \right)}}\) of growth of codimensions c _n ^S-gr (A) of their graded polynomial identities. This is of great interest since such algebras can have non-integer PIexp ^S-gr(A) despite being finite dimensional and associative. In addition, such algebras can have a non-trivial Jacobson radical J(A). All this is in strong contrast with the case when S is a group since in the group case J(A) is trivial, PIexp ^S-gr(A) is always integer and, if the base field is algebraically closed, then PIexp ^S-gr(A) equals dimA. Without any restrictions on the base field F, we classify graded-simple S-graded algebras A for a class of semigroups S which is complementary to the class of groups. We explicitly describe the structure of J(A) showing that J(A) is built up of pieces of a maximal S-graded semisimple subalgebra of A which turns out to be simple. When F is algebraically closed, we get an upper bound for \({\overline {\lim } _{n \to \infty }}\sqrt[n]{{c_n^{S - gr}\left( A \right)}}\). If A/J(A) ≈ M ₂(F) and S is a right zero band, we show that this upper bound is sharp and PIexp ^S-gr(A) indeed exists. In particular, we present an infinite family of graded-simple algebras A with arbitrarily large non-integer PIexp ^S-gr(A).     

X-quasinormal subgroups

Considering two subgroups A and B of a group G and ? ≠ X ? G, we say that A is X-permutable with B if AB ^x = B ^x A for some element x ∈ X. We use this concept to give new characterizations of the classes of solvable, supersolvable, and nilpotent finite groups.     

New bounds in Balog-Szemerédi-Gowers theorem

We prove, in particular, that every finite subset A of an abelian group with the additive energy κ|A|³ contains a set A′ such that |A′|?κ|A| and |A′ ? A′|?κ ^?4|A′|.     

Minimal logarithmic signatures for classical groups

The minimal logarithmic signature conjecture states that in any finite simple group there are subsets A _i , 1 ≤ i ≤ k such that the size |A _i | of each A _i is a prime or 4 and each element of the group has a unique expression as a product \({\prod_{i=1}^k x_i}\) of elements \({x_i \in A_i}\). The conjecture is known to be true for several families of simple groups. In this paper the conjecture is shown to be true for the groups \({\Omega^-_{2m}(q), \Omega^+_{2m}(q)}\), when q is even, by studying the action on suitable spreads in the corresponding projective spaces. It is also shown that the method can be used for the finite symplectic groups. The construction in fact gives cyclic minimal logarithmic signatures in which each A _i is of the form \({\{y_i^j \ |\ 0 \leq j < |A_i|\}}\) for some element y _i of order ≥ |A _i |.     

On Generalized Derivations and Centralizers of Operator Algebras with Involution

Let B(H) be the algebra of all bounded linear operators on a complex Hilbert space H and A(H) ? B(H) be a standard operator algebra which is closed under the adjoint operation. Let F: A(H)→ B(H) be a linear mapping satisfying F(AA*A) = F(A)A*A + Ad(A*)A + AA*d(A) for all A ∈ A(H), where the associated linear mapping d: A(H) → B(H) satisfies the relation d(AA*A) = d(A)A*A + Ad(A*)A + AA*d(A) for all A ∈ A(H). Then F is of the form F(A) = SA ? AT for all A ∈ A(H) and some S, T ∈ B(H), that is, F is a generalized derivation. We also prove some results concerning centralizers on A(H) and semisimple H^*-algebras.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">θ</Emphasis>-Pairs for 2-maximal subgroups of finite groups

Let H, A and B be subgroups of a group G. We call the pair (A, B) a θ-pair for H in G if: (i) \({\langle H, A\rangle=G}\) and B = (A ∩ H) _G ; (ii) if A ₁/B is a proper subgroup of A/B and \({{A_1/B \vartriangleleft G/B}}\), then \({G\neq \langle H, A_1\rangle}\). In this paper, we study the θ-pairs for 2-maximal subgroups of a group, which imply a group to be solvable or supersolvable.     

Palindromic widths of nilpotent and wreath products

We prove that the nilpotent product of a set of groups A ₁,…,A _s has finite palindromic width if and only if the palindromic widths of A _i ,i=1,…,s,are finite. We give a new proof that the commutator width of F _n ?K is infinite, where F _n is a free group of rank n≥2 and K is a finite group. This result, combining with a result of Fink [9] gives examples of groups with infinite commutator width but finite palindromic width with respect to some generating set.     

Rings of quasi-endomorphisms of some direct sums of torsion-free Abelian groups

We consider a representation of quasi-endomorphisms of Abelian torsion-free groups of rank 4 bymatrices of order 4 over the field of rational numbers Q. We obtain a classification for quasi-endomorphism rings of Abelian torsion-free groups of rank 4 quasi-decomposable into a direct sum of groups A ₁, A ₂ of rank 1 and strongly indecomposable group B of rank 2 such that quasi-homomorphism groups Q ? Hom(A _i , B) and Q ? Hom(B, A _i ) for any i = 1, 2 have rank 1 or are zero. Moreover, for algebras from the classification we present necessary and sufficient conditions for their realization as quasi-endomorphism rings of these groups.     

Recognition of characteristically simple group <Emphasis Type="Italic">A</Emphasis><Subscript>5</Subscript> × <Emphasis Type="Italic">A</Emphasis><Subscript>5</Subscript> by character degree graph and order

The character degree graph of a finite group G is the graph whose vertices are the prime divisors of the irreducible character degrees of G and two vertices p and q are joined by an edge if pq divides some irreducible character degree of G. It is proved that some simple groups are uniquely determined by their orders and their character degree graphs. But since the character degree graphs of the characteristically simple groups are complete, there are very narrow class of characteristically simple groups which are characterizable by this method.We prove that the characteristically simple group A₅ × A₅ is uniquely determined by its order and its character degree graph. We note that this is the first example of a non simple group which is determined by order and character degree graph. As a consequence of our result we conclude that A₅ × A₅ is uniquely determined by its complex group algebra.     

The Number of <Emphasis Type="Italic">k</Emphasis>-Sumsets in an Abelian Group

Let G be an abelian group of order n. The sum of subsets A₁,...,A_k of G is defined as the collection of all sums of k elements from A₁,...,A_k; i.e., A₁ + A₂ + · · · + A_k = {a₁ + · · · + a_k | a₁ ∈ A₁,..., a_k ∈ A_k}. A subset representable as the sum of k subsets of G is a k-sumset. We consider the problem of the number of k-sumsets in an abelian group G. It is obvious that each subset A in G is a k-sumset since A is representable as A = A₁ + · · · + A_k, where A₁ = A and A₂ = · · · = A_k = {0}. Thus, the number of k-sumsets is equal to the number of all subsets of G. But, if we introduce a constraint on the size of the summands A₁,...,A_k then the number of k-sumsets becomes substantially smaller. A lower and upper asymptotic bounds of the number of k-sumsets in abelian groups are obtained provided that there exists a summand A_i such that |A_i| = n log^qn and |A₁ +· · ·+ A_i-1 + A_i+1 + · · ·+A_k| = n log^qn, where q = -1/8 and i ∈ {1,..., k}.     

Certain pairs of irreducible characters of the groups <Emphasis Type="Italic">S</Emphasis><Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis></Subscript>

The investigation of the pairs of irreducible characters of the symmetric group S _n that have the same set of roots in one of the sets A _n and S _n ? A _n is continued. All such pairs of irreducible characters of the group S _n are found in the case when the least of the main diagonal’s lengths of the Young diagrams corresponding to these characters does not exceed 2. Some arguments are obtained for the conjecture that alternating groups A _n have no pairs of semiproportional irreducible characters.     

Elliptic function of level 4

The article is devoted to the theory of elliptic functions of level n. An elliptic function of level n determines a Hirzebruch genus called an elliptic genus of level n. Elliptic functions of level n are also of interest because they are solutions of the Hirzebruch functional equations. The elliptic function of level 2 is the Jacobi elliptic sine function, which determines the famous Ochanine–Witten genus. It is the exponential of the universal formal group of the form F(u, v) = (u² ? v²)/(uB(v) ? vB(u)), B(0) = 1. The elliptic function of level 3 is the exponential of the universal formal group of the form F(u, v) = (u²A(v) ? v²A(u))/(uA(v)² ? vA(u)²), A(0) = 1, A″(0) = 0. In the present study we show that the elliptic function of level 4 is the exponential of the universal formal group of the form F(u, v) = (u²A(v) ? v²A(u))/(uB(v) ? vB(u)), where A(0) = B(0) = 1 and for B′(0) = A″(0) = 0, A′(0) = A₁, and B″(0) = 2B₂ the following relation holds: (2B(u) + 3A₁u)² = 4A(u)³ ? (3A₁² ? 8B₂)u²A(u)². To prove this result, we express the elliptic function of level 4 in terms of the Weierstrass elliptic functions.     

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 an open problem of Guo-Skiba

Let G be a finite group, and let A be a proper subgroup of G. Then any chief factor H/A _G of G is called a G-boundary factor of A. For any Gboundary factor H/A _G of A, the subgroup (A ∩ H)/A _G of G/ A _G is called a G-trace of A. In this paper, we prove that G is p-soluble if and only if every maximal chain of G of length 2 contains a proper subgroup M of G such that either some G-trace of M is subnormal or every G-boundary factor of M is a p′-group. This result give a positive answer to a recent open problem of Guo and Skiba. We also give some new characterizations of p-hypercyclically embedded subgroups.     

Verbal width in anabelian groups

The class A of anabelian groups is defined as the collection of finite groups without abelian composition factors. We prove that the commutator word [x₁, x₂] and the power word x₁^p have bounded width in A when p is an odd integer. By contrast, the word x³⁰ does not have bounded width in A. On the other hand, any given word w has bounded width for those groups G ∈ A whose composition factors are sufficiently large as a function of w. In the course of the proof we establish that sufficiently large almost simple groups cannot satisfy w as a coset identity.     

Thompson’s conjecture for the alternating group of degree 2<Emphasis Type="Italic">p</Emphasis> and 2<Emphasis Type="Italic">p</Emphasis>+1

For a finite group G denote by N(G) the set of conjugacy class sizes of G. In 1980s, J.G.Thompson posed the following conjecture: If L is a finite nonabelian simple group, G is a finite group with trivial center and N(G) = N(L), then G ? L. We prove this conjecture for an infinite class of simple groups. Let p be an odd prime. We show that every finite group G with the property Z(G) = 1 and N(G) = N(A _i ) is necessarily isomorphic to A _i , where i ∈ {2p, 2p + 1}.     

Symmetrization of Cuntz’ Picture for the Kasparov <Emphasis Type="Italic">KK</Emphasis>-Bifunctor

Given C^*-algebras A and B, we generalize the notion of a quasi-homomorphism from A to B in the sense of Cuntz by considering quasi-homomorphisms from some C^*-algebra C to B such that C surjects onto A and the two maps forming the quasi-homomorphism agree on the kernel of this surjection. Under an additional assumption, the group of homotopy classes of such generalized quasi-homomorphisms coincides with KK(A, B). This makes the definition of the Kasparov bifunctor slightly more symmetric and provides more flexibility in constructing elements of KK-groups. These generalized quasi-homomorphisms can be viewed as pairs of maps directly from A (instead of various C’s), but these maps need not be *-homomorphisms.