On the number of conjugacy classes in a finite group II

In this work we obtain new properties connected with the number of conjugacy classes of elements of a finite group, through the analysis of the numberr _G(gN) of conjugacy classes of elements ofG that intersect the cosetgN, whereN is a normal subgroup ofG andg any element ofG. The results obtained about this number are not only used in the general problem of classifying finite groups according to the number of conjugacy classes, but they also allow us to improve and generalize known results relating to conjugacy classes due to P. Hall, M. Cartwright, A. Mann, G. Sherman, A. Vera-López and L. Ortíz de Elguea. Examples are given which illustrate our improvements. This work has been supported by the University of the Basque Country.     

On the number of conjugacy classes of a finite solvable group II

We prove that a finite solvable group G has at least (49p+1)/60 conjugacy classes whenever p is a prime such that p² divides the order of G. We also construct an infinite family of finite solvable groups, where this bound is attained.     

Remarks on the length of conjugacy classes of finite groups

Let G be a finite group. The question of how certain arithmetical conditions on the lengths of the conjugacy classes of G influence the group structure has been studied by several authors. In this paper we study restrictions on the structure of a finite group in which the lengths of conjugacy classes are not divisible by p ² for some prime p. We generalise and provide simplified proofs for some earlier results.     

Conjugacy Classes in Sylow p-Subgroups of Finite Chevalley Groups in Bad Characteristic

Let U = U(q) be a Sylow p-subgroup of a finite Chevalley group G = G(q). Röhrle and Goodwin in 2009 determined a parameterization of the conjugacy classes of U, for G of small rank when q is a power of a good prime for G. As a consequence they verified that the number k(U) of conjugacy classes of U is given by a polynomial in q with integer coefficients. In the present paper, we consider the case when p is a bad prime for G. Our motivation is to observe how the situation differs between good and bad characteristics. We obtain a parameterization of the conjugacy classes of U, when G has rank less than or equal to 4, and G is not of type F ₄. In these cases we deduce that k(U) is given by a polynomial in q with integer coefficients; this polynomial is different from the polynomial for good primes.     

Equalities on the number of conjugacy classes of the Sylow p-subgroups of GL(n,q)

We denote by Gn the group of the upper unitriangular matrices over F_q, the finite field with q = p^t elements, and r(G_n) the number of conjugacy classes of G_n. In this paper, we obtain the value of r(G_n) modulo (q² -1)(q -1). We prove the following equalities     

The finite <Emphasis Type="Italic">p</Emphasis>-groups with <Emphasis Type="Italic">p</Emphasis> conjugacy classes of non-normal subgroups

Let ν(G) be the number of conjugacy classes of non-normal subgroups of a finite group G. The finite groups for which ν(G) ≤ 2 were determined by Dedekind and by Schmidt in the early times of group theory. On the other hand, if G is a finite p-group, La Haye and Rhemtulla have proved that either ν(G) ≤ 1 or ν(G) ≥ p. In this note, we determine all finite p-groups satisfying ν(G) = p for p > 2.     

Classification of finite groups according to the number of conjugacy classes II

In the following,G denotes a finite group,r(G) the number of conjugacy classes ofG, β(G) the number of minimal normal subgroups ofG andα(G) the number of conjugate classes ofG not contained in the socleS(G). Let Φ _j = {G|β(G) =r(G) −j}. In this paper, the family Φ₁₁ is classified. In addition, from a simple inspection of the groups withr(G) =b conjugate classes that appear in ϒ _j ^=1/11 Φ _j , we obtain all finite groups satisfying one of the following conditions: (1)r(G) = 12; (2)r(G) = 13 andβ(G) > 1; …; (9)r(G) = 20 andβ(G) > 8; (10)r(G) =n andβ(G) =n −a with 1 ≦a ≦ 11, for each integern ≧ 21. Also, we obtain all finite groupsG with 13 ≦r(G) ≦ 20,β(G) ≦r(G) − 12, and satisfying one of the following conditions: (i) 0 ≦α(G) ≦ 4; (ii) 5 ≦α(G) ≦ 10 andS(G) solvable.     

Conjugacy classes and finite p-groups

Let G be a finite p-group, where p is a prime number, and a ∈ G. Denote by Cl(a) = {gag⁻¹| g ∈ G} the conjugacy class of a in G. Assume that |Cl(a)| = pⁿ. Then Cl(a) Cl(a⁻¹) = {xy | x ∈ Cl(a), y ∈ Cl(a⁻¹)} is the union of at least n(p − 1) + 1 distinct conjugacy classes of G. Received: 16 December 2004     

On a graph related to permutability in finite groups

For a finite group G we define the graph Γ(G) to be the graph whose vertices are the conjugacy classes of cyclic subgroups of G and two conjugacy classes ${\mathcal {A}, \mathcal {B}}For a finite group G we define the graph Γ(G) to be the graph whose vertices are the conjugacy classes of cyclic subgroups of G and two conjugacy classes A, B{\mathcal {A}, \mathcal {B}} are joined by an edge if for some A ? A, B ? B A{A \in \mathcal {A},\, B \in \mathcal {B}\, A} and B permute. We characterise those groups G for which Γ(G) is complete.     

Finite groups with some non-Abelian subgroups of non-prime-power order

Let G be a finite group and NA(G) denote the number of conjugacy classes of all nonabelian subgroups of non-prime-power order of G. The Symbol π(G) denote the set of the prime divisors of |G|. In this paper we establish lower bounds on NA(G). In fact, we show that if G is a finite solvable group, then NA(G) = 0 or NA(G) ≥ 2^|π(G)|?2, and if G is non-solvable, then NA(G) ≥ |π(G)| + 1. Both lower bounds are best possible.     

Groups with Bounded Chernikov Conjugate Classes of Elements

We consider BCC-groups, that is groups G with Chernikov conjugacy classes in which for every element x G the minimax rank of the divisible part of the Chernikov group G/C _G(x ^G) and the order of the corresponding factor-group are bounded in terms of G only. We prove that a BCC-group has a Chernikov derived subgroup. This fact extends the well-known result due to B. H. Neumann characterizing groups with bounded finite conjugacy classes (BFC-groups).     

Lower bounds for the number of conjugacy classes in finite solvable groups

We prove first that if G is a finite solvable group of derived length d ≥ 2, then k(G) > |G|^1/(2^d−1), where k(G) is the number of conjugacy classes in G. Next, a growth assumption on the sequence [G⁽ⁱ⁾: G⁽ⁱ⁺¹⁾] ₁ ^d−1 , where G⁽ⁱ⁾ is theith derived group, leads to a |G|^1/(2d−1) lower bound for k(G), from which we derive a |G|^c/log ₂log₂|G| lower bound, independent of d(G). Finally, “almost logarithmic” lower bounds are found for solvable groups with a nilpotent maximal subgroup, and for all Frobenius groups, solvable or not.     

On non-solvable Camina pairs

In this paper we study non-solvable and non-Frobenius Camina pairs (G,N). It is known [D. Chillag, A. Mann, C. Scoppola, Generalized Frobenius groups II, Israel J. Math. 62 (1988) 269–282] that in this case N is a p-group. Our first result (Theorem 1.3) shows that the solvable residual of G/O_p(G) is isomorphic either to SL(2,p^e),p is a prime or to SL(2,5), SL(2,13) with p=3, or to SL(2,5) with p7.Our second result provides an example of a non-solvable and non-Frobenius Camina pair (G,N) with |O_p(G)|=5⁵ and G/O_p(G)SL(2,5). Note that G has a character which is zero everywhere except on two conjugacy classes. Groups of this type were studies by S.M. Gagola [S.M. Gagola, Characters vanishing on all but two conjugacy classes, Pacific J. Math. 109 (1983) 363–385]. To our knowledge this group is the first example of a Gagola group which is non-solvable and non-Frobenius.     

On an extension of a theorem on conjugacy class sizes

Let G be a finite group. We extend Alan Camina’s theorem on conjugacy classes sizes which asserts that if the conjugacy classes sizes of G are {1, p ^a , q ^b , p ^a q ^b }, where p and q are two distinct primes and a and b are integers, then G is nilpotent. We show that let G be a group and assume that the conjugacy classes sizes of elements of primary and biprimary orders of G are exactly {1, p ^a , n,p ^a n} with (p, n) = 1, where p is a prime and a and n are positive integers. If there is a p-element in G whose index is precisely p ^a , then G is nilpotent and n = q ^b for some prime q ≠ p.     

Finite Groups with a Disconnected p -Regular Conjugacy Class Graph

Abstract

Let G be a finite p-solvable group for a fixed prime p. Attach to G a graph Γ _p (G) whose vertices are the non-central p-regular conjugacy classes of G and connect two vertices by an edge if their cardinalities have a common prime divisor. In this note we study the structure and arithmetical properties of the p-regular class sizes in p-solvable groups G having Γ _p (G) disconnected.     

On Solvability of Finite Groups with Few Non-Normal Subgroups

For a finite group G, let v(G) denote the number of conjugacy classes of non-normal subgroups of G and vc(G) denote the number of conjugacy classes of non-normal noncyclic subgroups of G. In this paper, we show that every finite group G satisfying v(G) ≤2|π(G)| or vc(G) ≤ |π(G)| is solvable, and for a finite nonsolvable group G, v(G) = 2|π(G)| +1 if and only if G ? A ₅.     

On the Diameter of a p-Regular Conjugacy Class Graph of Finite Groups II

Abstract

Let Gbe a finite p-solvable group. Let us consider the graph Γ* _p (G) whose vertices are the primes which occur as the divisors of the conjugacy classes of p-regular elements of G and two primes are joined by an edge if there exists such a class whose size is divisible by both primes. Suppose that Γ _p *(G) is a connected graph, then we prove that the diameter of this graph is at most 3 and this is the best bound.     

Equivalence classes of matrices inGL 2 (Q) andSL 2 (Q)

LetG denote either of the groupsGL ₂ (q) orSL ₂ (q). The mapping θ sending a matrix to its transpose-inverse is an automophism ofG and therefore we can form the groupG ⁺ =G. <θ>. In this paper conjugacy classes of elements inG ⁺ -G are found. These classes are closely related to the congruence classes of invertible matrices inG.     

Edge sets contained in circuits

A graphG withn vertices has propertyp(r, s) ifG contains a path of lengthr and if every such path is contained in a circuit of lengths. G. A. Dirac and C. Thomassen [Math. Ann.203 (1973), 65–75] determined graphs with propertyp(r,r+1). We determine the least number of edges in a graphG in order to insure thatG has propertyp(r,s), we determine the least number of edges possible in a connected graph with propertyp(r,s) forr=1 and alls, forr=k ands=k+2 whenk=2, 3, 4, and we give bounds in other cases. Some resulting extremal graphs are determined. We also consider a generalization of propertyp(2,s) in which it is required that each pair of edges is contained in a circuit of lengths. Some cases of this last property have been treated previously by U. S. R. Murty [inProof Techniques in Graph Theory, ed. F. Harary, Academic Press, New York, 1969, pp. 111–118].