On the existence of $\lambda $-projective splitters

Let D be an R-module over an arbitrary ring R of projective dimension at most 1. We construct an R-module G containing D such that Ext(D, G) = 0 = Ext(G, G). Moreover, we show that if D is l\lambda -projective over a hereditary ring R, for some infinite cardinal l\lambda , then G is also l\lambda -projective.     

The 2-Pebbling Property and a Conjecture of Graham's

The pebbling number of a graph G, f(G), is the least m such that, however m pebbles are placed on the vertices of G, we can move a pebble to any vertex by a sequence of moves, each move taking two pebbles off one vertex and placing one on an adjacent vertex. It is conjectured that for all graphs G and H, f(G 2H)hf(G)f(H).¶Let C_m and C_n be cycles. We prove that f(C_m 2C_n)hf(C_m) f(C_n) for all but a finite number of possible cases. We also prove that f(G2T)hf(G) f(T) when G has the 2-pebbling property and T is any tree.     

On a filtered multiplicative basis of group algebras

Let K be a field of characteristic p and G a nonabelian metacyclic finite p-group. We give an explicit list of all metacyclic p-groups G, such that the group algebra KG over a field of characteristic p has a filtered multiplicative K-basis. We also present an example of a non-metacyclic 2-group G, such that the group algebra KG over any field of characteristic 2 has a filtered multiplicative K-basis.     

Permutability of subgroups of G×H that are direct products of subgroups of the direct factors

If M and S are two subgroups of a group G, M and S permute if MS = SM. Furthermore, M is a permutable subgroup of G if M permutes with every subgroup of G. We give necessary and sufficient conditions for M, a subgroup of G, to permute with a subgroup of G 2 H given that G and H are finite groups. The main part of the paper involves the development of a characterization of permutable subgroups of G 2 H that are direct products of subgroups of the direct factors; that is, subgroups that are equal to A 2 B where A \leqq \leqq G and B \leqq \leqq H.     

On p-chief factors and extensions of $ \mathbb{K} $ G-modules

The subject of this paper is the relationship between the set of chief factors of a finite group G and extensions of an irreducible \mathbbK \mathbb{K} G-module U ( \mathbbK \mathbb{K} a field). Let H / L be a p-chief factor of G. We prove that, if H / L is complemented in a vertex of U, then there is a short exact sequence of Ext-functors for the module U and any \mathbbK \mathbb{K} G-module V. In some special cases, we prove the converse, which is false in general. We also consider the intersection of the centralizers of all the extensions of U by an irreducible module and provide new bounds for this group.     

Group-invariant Percolation on Graphs

Let G be a closed group of automorphisms of a graph X. We relate geometric properties of G and X, such as amenability and unimodularity, to properties of G-invariant percolation processes on X, such as the number of infinite components, the expected degree, and the topology of the components. Our fundamental tool is a new masstransport technique that has been occasionally used elsewhere and is developed further here.¶ Perhaps surprisingly, these investigations of group-invariant percolation produce results that are new in the Bernoulli setting. Most notably, we prove that critical Bernoulli percolation on any nonamenable Cayley graph has no infinite clusters. More generally, the same is true for any nonamenable graph with a unimodular transitive automorphism group.¶ We show that G is amenable if for all $ \alpha < 1 $ \alpha < 1 , there is a G-invariant site percolation process w \omega on X with $ {\bf P} [x \in \omega] > \alpha $ {\bf P} [x \in \omega] > \alpha for all vertices x and with no infinite components. When G is not amenable, a threshold $ \alpha < 1 $ \alpha < 1 appears. An inequality for the threshold in terms of the isoperimetric constant is obtained, extending an inequality of Häggström for regular trees.¶ If G acts transitively on X, we show that G is unimodular if the expected degree is at least 2 in any G-invariant bond percolation on X with all components infinite.¶ The investigation of dependent percolation also yields some results on automorphism groups of graphs that do not involve percolation.     

Regular orbits in powers of permutation representations

Let (Q,G) be a faithful permutation representation of a finite group G. Suppose that the G-set Q has t distinct non-zero marks. In a permutation representation analogue of a theorem of Brauer on linear representations, it is shown that the direct power (Q,G)^t of (Q,G) contains a regular orbit. As a corollary, the probability that a random element of Q^r lies in a regular orbit of (Q,G)^r is shown to tend to 1 exponentially fast as r tends to \infin\infin. Further, knowledge of the rate of convergence is equivalent to knowledge of the second largest value of the character of the linear permutation representation.     

Orbit nonproper actions on Lorentz manifolds

If a topological group G acts on a topological space X, then we say that the action is orbit nonproper provided that, for some x ? X x \in X , the orbit map g ? gx : G ? X g \mapsto gx : G \to X is nonproper. We consider the problem of classifying the connected, simply connected real Lie groups G such that G admits a locally faithful, orbit nonproper action on a connected Lorentz manifold. In this paper, we describe three collections of groups such that G admits such an action iff G is in one of the three collections. In an earlier paper, we effectively described the first collection. In yet another paper, we describe effectively those groups in the second collection which are not contained in the union of the first and third. Finally, in another paper, we describe effectively the third collection.     

On Groups Associated with Transformation Semigroups

For a semigroup S of transformations (total or partial) of a finite n-element set X_n, denote by G_S the group of all the permutations h of X_n that preserve S under conjugation. It is shown that, unless S contains certain nilpotents and has a very restricted form, the alternating group Alt_n may not serve as G_S, so that Alt_n ⊆ G_S implies that G_S=S_n, and S is an S_n-normal semigroup.     

Idempotents in a complex group algebra, projective modules, and the von Neumann algebra

The complex group algebra \Bbb CG{\Bbb C}G of a countable group G can be imbedded in the von Neumann algebra NG of G. If G is torsion-free, and if P is a finitely generated projective module over \Bbb CG{\Bbb C}G it is proved that the central-valued trace of NG?_{\Bbb CG}PNG\otimes _{{\Bbb C}G}P, i.e. of an idempotent \Bbb CG{\Bbb C}G-matrix A defining P is equal to the canonical trace k(P)\kappa (P) times identity I. It follows that k(P)\kappa (P) characterizes the isomorphism type of NG?_{\Bbb CG}PNG\otimes _{{\Bbb C}G}P.¶If k(P)\kappa (P) is an integer, e.g., if the weak Bass conjecture holds for G then NG?_{\Bbb C G}PNG\otimes _{{\Bbb C} G}P is free. It is also shown that for certain classes of groups geometric arguments can be used to prove the Bass conjecture.     

The influence of S-quasinormality of some subgroups of prime power order on the structure of finite groups

Let G be a finite group. Two subgroups H and K of G are said to permute if áH,K? = HK = KH\langle H,K\rangle = HK = KH. A subgroup H of G is S-quasinormal in G if it permutes with every Sylow subgroup of G. In this paper we investigate the influence of S-quasinormality of some subgroups of prime power order of a finite group on its supersolvability.     

The Center of a Regular Algebraic Monoid

This paper is devoted to proving the following result: Let M be an irreducible regular algebraic monoid with unit group G. Then the center of M is unit regular and coincides with the closure of the center of G. Moreover if the M is reductive, then its center also coincides with the intersection of all maximal diagonizable submonoids of M.     

Finite groups in which normality is a transitive relation

Let G be a finite group. We say that G is a T₀-group, if its Frattini quotient group G/F(G)G/\Phi (G) is a T-group, where by a T-group we mean a group in which every subnormal subgroup is normal. We determine the structure of a non T₀-group G all of whose proper subgroups are T₀-groups.     

Independent Trees in Planar Graphs Independent trees

We prove the following statement: Let G be a finite k-connected undirected planar graph and s be a vertex of G. Then there exist k spanning trees T₁,…,T_k in G such that for each vertex xps of G, the k paths from x to s in T₁,…,T_k are pairwise openly disjoint.     

Product of nilpotent subgroups

We will say that a subgroup X of G satisfies property C in G if C_G(X?X^g)\leqq X?X^g{\rm C}_{G}(X\cap X^{{g}})\leqq X\cap X^{{g}} for all g ? G{g}\in G. We obtain that if X is a nilpotent subgroup satisfying property C in G, then XF(G) is nilpotent. As consequence it follows that if N\triangleleft GN\triangleleft G is nilpotent and X is a nilpotent subgroup of G then C_G(N?X)\leqq XC_G(N\cap X)\leqq X implies that NX is nilpotent.¶We investigate the relationship between the maximal nilpotent subgroups satisfying property C and the nilpotent injectors in a finite group.     

Brauer induction and equivariant stable homotopy

Brauer's induction theorem, published in 1951, asserts that every element of the complex representation ring R(G) of a finite group G is a linear combination of classes induced from 1-dimensional representations of subgroups of G. In 1987, Snaith formulated an explicit version of the induction theorem. Using the methods of equivariant fibrewise stable homotopy theory, specifically fixed-point theory, this note clarifies the relation between the explicit Brauer induction theorem due to Snaith, Boltje and Symonds and a topological splitting theorem established by Segal in 1973.     

The influence of minimal subgroups on the structure of finite groups

We are interested to study the structure of a finite group G under the assumption that all minimal subgroups of G are well-situated in G.     

Profinite groups with many commuting pairs or involutions

We prove that if the set of commuting pairs of a profinite group G has positive Haar measure then G is abelian by finite. Using this we show that the set I of involutions has positive measure exactly if I contains a nonempty open subset of G.     

On self-normality and abnormality in the alternating group Ap

An old problem proposed by Huppert, Doerk and Hawkes motivates us to investigate the relationship between an abnormal subgroup and self-normalizing in non-solvable groups. A subgroup H of a group G is called second maximal if H is maximal in all maximal subgroups of G containing H. Our result is that if H is a second maximal subgroup of the alternating group A_p of prime degree, then H is abnormal in A_p if and only if H is self-normalizing.