Bounded generation of S-arithmetic subgroups of isotropic orthogonal groups over number fields

Let f be a nondegenerate quadratic form in n?5 variables over a number field K and let S be a finite set of valuations of K containing all Archimedean ones. We prove that if the Witt index of f is ?2 or it is 1 and S contains a non-Archimedean valuation, then the S-arithmetic subgroups of SOn(f) have bounded generation. These groups provide a series of examples of boundedly generated S-arithmetic groups in isotropic, but not quasi-split, algebraic groups.     

Primitive and measure-preserving systems of elements on the varieties of metabelian and metabelian profinite groups

Given a free metabelian group S of finite rank r, r ≥ 2, we prove that a system of elements g ₁, ..., g _n ∈ S for n = 1 or n = r preserves measure on the variety of all metabelian groups if and only if the system is primitive. Similar results hold for a free profinite group $\hat S$ and the variety of finite metabelian groups for each n, 1 ≤ n ≤ r. Some corollaries to these theorems are derived.     

Profinite groups, profinite completions and a conjecture of Moore

Let R be any ring (with 1), Γ a group and RΓ the corresponding group ring. Let H be a subgroup of Γ of finite index. Let M be an RΓ-module, whose restriction to RH is projective.Moore's conjecture (J. Pure Appl. Algebra 7(1976)287): Assume for every nontrivial element x in Γ, at least one of the following two conditions holds:

(M1)

〈x〉∩H≠{e} (in particular this holds if Γ is torsion free)

(M2)

ord(x) is finite and invertible in R.

Then M is projective as an RΓ-module.More generally, the conjecture has been formulated for crossed products R*Γ and even for strongly graded rings R(Γ). We prove the conjecture for new families of groups, in particular for groups whose profinite completion is torsion free.The conjecture can be formulated for profinite modules M over complete groups rings [[RΓ]] where R is a profinite ring and Γ a profinite group. We prove the conjecture for arbitrary profinite groups. This implies Serre's theorem on cohomological dimension of profinite groups.     

Continuity of topological entropy for perturbation of time-one maps of hyperbolic flows

In this paper we derive necessary and sufficient homological and cohomological conditions for profinite groups and modules to be of type FP_n over a profinite ring R, analogous to the Bieri–Eckmann criteria for abstract groups. We use these to prove that the class of groups of type FP_n is closed under extensions, quotients by subgroups of type FP_n, proper amalgamated free products and proper HNN-extensions, for each n. We show, as a consequence of this, that elementary amenable profinite groups of finite rank are of type FP_∞ over all profinite R. For any class C of finite groups closed under subgroups, quotients and extensions, we also construct pro-C groups of type FP_n but not of type FP_n+1 over Z_? for each n. Finally, we show that the natural analogue of the usual condition measuring when pro-p groups are of type FP_n fails for general profinite groups, answering in the negative the profinite analogue of a question of Kropholler.     

On groups whose subgroups are closed in the profinite topology

A group is called extended residually finite (ERF) if every subgroup is closed in the profinite topology. The ERF-property is studied for nilpotent groups, soluble groups, locally finite groups and FC-groups. A complete characterization is given of FC-groups which are ERF.     

Automorphism groups of graphs and edge-contraction

If a class C of finite graphs is closed under contraction and forming subgraphs, and if every finite abstract group occurs as the automorphism group of some graph in C, then C contains all finite graphs (up to isomorphism). Also related results concerning automorphism groups of graphs on given surfaces are mentioned.     

A lattice in more than two Kac-Moody groups is arithmetic

Let Γ < G ₁ × … × G _n be an irreducible lattice in a product of infinite irreducible complete Kac-Moody groups of simply laced type over finite fields. We show that if n ≥ 3, then each G _i is a simple algebraic group over a local field and Γ is an S-arithmetic lattice. This relies on the following alternative which is satisfied by any irreducible lattice provided n ≥ 2: either Γ is an S-arithmetic (hence linear) group, or Γ is not residually finite. In that case, it is even virtually simple when the ground field is large enough. More general CAT(0) groups are also considered throughout.     

Test elements in pro-<Emphasis Type="Italic">p</Emphasis> groups with applications in discrete groups

Let G be a group. An element g ∈ G is called a test element of G if for every endomorphism ? : G → G, ?(g) = g implies ? is an automorphism. We prove that for a finitely generated profinite group G, g ∈ G is a test element of G if and only if it is not contained in a proper retract of G. Using this result we prove that an endomorphism of a free pro-p group of finite rank which preserves an automorphic orbit of a nontrivial element must be an automorphism. We give numerous explicit examples of test elements in free pro-p groups and Demushkin groups. By relating test elements in finitely generated residually finite-p Turner groups to test elements in their pro-p completions, we provide new examples of test elements in free discrete groups and surface groups. Moreover, we prove that the set of test elements of a free discrete group of finite rank is dense in the profinite topology.     

Schur–Weyl duality over finite fields

We prove a version of the Schur–Weyl duality over finite fields. We prove that for any field k, if k has at least r + 1 elements, the Schur–Weyl duality holds for the rth tensor power of a finite dimensional vector space V. Moreover, if the dimension of V is at least r + 1, the natural map ${{k\mathfrak{S}_r \to \mathsf{End}_{{\rm GL}(V)}(V^{\otimes r})}}We prove a version of the Schur–Weyl duality over finite fields. We prove that for any field k, if k has at least r + 1 elements, the Schur–Weyl duality holds for the rth tensor power of a finite dimensional vector space V. Moreover, if the dimension of V is at least r + 1, the natural map k\mathfrakS_r ? End_GL(V)(V^?r){{k\mathfrak{S}_r \to \mathsf{End}_{{\rm GL}(V)}(V^{\otimes r})}} is an isomorphism. This isomorphism may fail if dim _k V is not strictly larger than r.     

Positively finitely related profinite groups

We define and study the class of positively finitely related (PFR) profinite groups. Positive finite relatedness is a probabilistic property of profinite groups which provides a first step to defining higher finiteness properties of profinite groups which generalize the positively finitely generated groups introduced by Avinoam Mann. We prove many asymptotic characterisations of PFR groups, for instance we show the following: a finitely presented profinite group is PFR if and only if it has at most exponential representation growth, uniformly over finite fields (in other words: the completed group algebra has polynomial maximal ideal growth). From these characterisations we deduce several structural results on PFR profinite groups.     

Profinite Groups Admitting Just Infinite Quotients

 A profinite group is said to be just infinite if each of its proper quotients is finite. We address the question which profinite groups admit just infinite quotients. It is proved that any profinite group whose order (as a supernatural number) is divisible only by finitely many primes admits just infinite quotients. It is shown that if a profinite group G possesses the property in question then so does every open subgroup and every finite extension of G. Received 20 July 2001     

On spectra of almost simple groups with symplectic or orthogonal socle

Finite groups are said to be isospectral if they have the same sets of the orders of elements. We investigate almost simple groups H with socle S, where S is a finite simple symplectic or orthogonal group over a field of odd characteristic. We prove that if H is isospectral to S, then H/S presents a 2-group. Also we give a criterion for isospectrality of H and S in the case when S is either symplectic or orthogonal of odd dimension.     

Chordal Coxeter groups

A solution of the isomorphism problem is presented for the class of Coxeter groups W that have a finite set of Coxeter generators S such that the underlying graph of the presentation diagram of the system (W,S) has the property that every cycle of length at least four has a chord. As an application, we construct counterexamples to two conjectures concerning the isomorphism problem for Coxeter groups.      

Green index in semigroups: generators, presentations, and automatic structures

The Green index of a subsemigroup T of a semigroup S is given by counting strong orbits in the complement S?T under the natural actions of T on S via right and left multiplication. This partitions the complement S?T into T-relative -classes, in the sense of Wallace, and with each such class there is a naturally associated group called the relative Schützenberger group. If the Rees index |S?T| is finite, T also has finite Green index in S. If S is a group and T a subgroup then T has finite Green index in S if and only if it has finite group index in S. Thus Green index provides a common generalisation of Rees index and group index. We prove a rewriting theorem which shows how generating sets for S may be used to obtain generating sets for T and the Schützenberger groups, and vice versa. We also give a method for constructing a presentation for S from presentations of T and the Schützenberger groups. These results are then used to show that several important properties are preserved when passing to finite Green index subsemigroups or extensions, including: finite generation, solubility of the word problem, growth type, automaticity (for subsemigroups), finite presentability (for extensions) and finite Malcev presentability (in the case of group-embeddable semigroups).     

Invariable generation of prosoluble groups

A group G is invariably generated by a subset S of G if G = 〈s^g(s) | s ∈ S〉 for each choice of g(s) ∈ G, s ∈ S. Answering two questions posed by Kantor, Lubotzky and Shalev in [8], we prove that the free prosoluble group of rank d ≥ 2 cannot be invariably generated by a finite set of elements, while the free solvable profinite group of rank d and derived length l is invariably generated by precisely l(d ? 1) + 1 elements.     

Procyclic coverings of commutators in profinite groups

We consider profinite groups in which all commutators are contained in a union of finitely many procyclic subgroups. It is shown that if G is a profinite group in which all commutators are covered by m procyclic subgroups, then G possesses a finite characteristic subgroup M contained in G′ such that the order of M is m-bounded and G′/M is procyclic. If G is a pro-p group such that all commutators in G are covered by m procyclic subgroups, then G′ is either finite of m-bounded order or procyclic.     

The probability of generating a finite simple group

We study the probability of generating a finite simple group, together with its generalisation P _G,socG (d), the conditional probability of generating an almost simple finite group G by d elements, given that these elements generate G/socG. We prove that P _G,socG (2) ? 53/90, with equality if and only if G is A₆ or S₆, and establish a similar result for P _G,socG (3). Positive answers to longstanding questions of Wiegold on direct products, and of Mel’nikov on profinite groups, follow easily from our results.