Algebraic sets in metabelian groups

The research launched in [1] is brought to a close by examining algebraic sets in a metabelian group G in two important cases: (1) G = F_n is a free metabelian group of rank n; (2) G = W_n,k is a wreath product of free Abelian groups of ranks n and k. Supported by RFBR grant No. 05-01-00292. __________ Translated from Algebra i Logika, Vol. 46, No. 4, pp. 503–513, July–August, 2007.     

The property of being equationally Noetherian for some soluble groups

Let B be a class of groups A which are soluble, equationally Noetherian, and have a central series A = A₁ ⩾ A₂ ⩾ … A_n ⩾ … such that ⋂A_n = 1 and all factors A_n/A_n+1 are torsion-free groups; D is a direct product of finitely many cyclic groups of infinite or prime orders. We prove that the wreath product D ≀ A is an equationally Noetherian group. As a consequence we show that free soluble groups of arbitrary derived lengths and ranks are equationally Noetherian. Supported by RFBR grant No. 05-01-00292. __________ Translated from Algebra i Logika, Vol. 46, No. 1, pp. 46–59, January–February, 2007.     

Divisible rigid groups

A soluble group G is rigid if it contains a normal series of the form G = G₁ > G₂ > … > G_p > G_p+1 = 1, whose quotients G_i/G_i+1 are Abelian and are torsion-free as right ℤ[G/G_i]-modules. The concept of a rigid group appeared in studying algebraic geometry over groups that are close to free soluble. In the class of all rigid groups, we distinguish divisible groups the elements of whose quotients G_i/G_i+1 are divisible by any elements of respective groups rings Z[G/G_i]. It is reasonable to suppose that algebraic geometry over divisible rigid groups is rather well structured. Abstract properties of such groups are investigated. It is proved that in every divisible rigid group H that contains G as a subgroup, there is a minimal divisible subgroup including G, which we call a divisible closure of G in H. Among divisible closures of G are divisible completions of G that are distinguished by some natural condition. It is shown that a divisible completion is defined uniquely up to G-isomorphism. Supported by the Council for Grants (under RF President) and State Aid of Leading Scientific Schools (grant NSh-344.2008.1). Translated from Algebra i Logika, Vol. 47, No. 6, pp. 762–776, November–December, 2008.     

Quasirecognizability by the Set of Element Orders for Groups 3D4(q) and F4(q), for q Odd

It is proved that if L is one of the simple groups ³D₄(q) or F₄(q), where q is odd, and G is a finite group with the set of element orders as in L, then the derived subgroup of G/F(G) is isomorphic to L and the factor group G/G′ is a cyclic {2, 3}-group. __________ Translated from Algebra i Logika, Vol. 44, No. 5, pp. 517–539, September–October, 2005. Supported by RFBR grant No. 04-01-00463.     

Endomorphisms of automorphism groups of free groups

It is proved that any non-trivial endomorphism of an automorphism group AutF_n of a free group F_n, for n 3, either is an automorphism or factorization over a proper automorphism subgroup. An endomorphism of AutF₂ is an automorphism, or else a homomorphism onto one of the groups S₃, D₈, Z₂ × Z₂, Z₂, or (Z₂ × Z₂). A non-trivial homomorphism of AutF_n into AutF_m, for n 3, m 2, and n > m, is a homomorphism onto Z₂ with kernel SAutF_n. As a consequence, we obtain that AutF_n is co-Hopfian.Supported by RFBR grant No. 02-01-00293 and by the Council for Grants (under RF President) and State Aid of Fundamental Science Schools, project NSh-2069.2003.1.__________Translated from Algebra i Logika, Vol. 44, No. 2, pp. 211–237, March–April, 2005.     

Computing test rank for a free solvable group

It is proved that test rank of a free solvable non-Abelian group of finite rank is 1 less than the rank of that group. This gives the answer to Question 14.88 posed in the Kourovka Notebook by Fine and Shpilrain, asking whether or not a free solvable group of rank 2 and solvability index n ≥ 3 has test elements. Supported by RFBR grant No. 05-01-00292. __________ Translated from Algebra i Logika, Vol. 45, No. 4, pp. 447–457, July–August, 2006.     

A characterization of alternating groups. II

Let G be a group. A subset X of G is called an A-subset if X consists of elements of order 3, X is invariant in G, and every two non-commuting members of X generate a subgroup isomorphic to A₄ or to A₅. Let X be the A-subset of G. Define a non-oriented graph Γ(X) with vertex set X in which two vertices are adjacent iff they generate a subgroup isomorphic to A₄. Theorem 1 states the following. Let X be a non-empty A-subset of G. (1) Suppose that C is a connected component of Γ(X) and H = 〈C〉. If H ∩ X does not contain a pair of elements generating a subgroup isomorphic to A₅ then H contains a normal elementary Abelian 2-subgroup of index 3 and a subgroup of order 3 which coincides with its centralizer in H. In the opposite case, H is isomorphic to the alternating group A(I) for some (possibly infinite) set I, |I| ≥ 5. (2) The subgroup 〈X^G〉 is a direct product of subgroups 〈C _α〉-generated by some connected components C _α of Γ(X). Theorem 2 asserts the following. Let G be a group and X⊆G be a non-empty G-invariant set of elements of order 5 such that every two non-commuting members of X generate a subgroup isomorphic to A₅. Then 〈XG〉 is a direct product of groups each of which either is isomorphic to A₅ or is cyclic of order 5. Supported by RFBR grant No. 05-01-00797; FP “Universities of Russia,” grant No. UR.04.01.028; RF Ministry of Education Developmental Program for Scientific Potential of the Higher School of Learning, project No. 511; Council for Grants (under RF President) and State Aid of Fundamental Science Schools, project NSh-2069.2003.1. __________ Translated from Algebra i Logika, Vol. 45, No. 2, pp. 203–214, March–April, 2006.     

Equational Noetherianness of rigid soluble groups

A group G is said to be rigid if it contains a normal series of the form G = G ₁ > G ₂ > … > G _m  > G _m + 1 = 1, whose quotients G _i /G _i + 1 are Abelian and are torsion free as right Z[G/G _i ]-modules. In studying properties of such groups, it was shown, in particular, that the above series is defined by the group uniquely. It is known that finitely generated rigid groups are equationally Noetherian: i.e., for any n, every system of equations in x ₁, …, x _n over a given group is equivalent to some of its finite subsystems. This fact is equivalent to the Zariski topology being Noetherian on G ⁿ , which allowed the dimension theory in algebraic geometry over finitely generated rigid groups to have been constructed. It is proved that every rigid group is equationally Noetherian. Supported by RFBR (project No. 09-01-00099) and by the Russian Ministry of Education through the Analytical Departmental Target Program (ADTP) “Development of Scientific Potential of the Higher School of Learning” (project No. 2.1.1.419). Translated from Algebra i Logika, Vol. 48, No. 2, pp. 258–279, March–April, 2009.     

Quasirecognition by the set of element orders of the groups E 6( q ) and 2 E 6( q )

We prove that if L is one of the simple groups E ₆(q) and ² E ₆(q) and G is some finite group with the same spectrum as L, then the commutant of G/F(G) is isomorphic to L and the quotient G/G′ is a cyclic {2,3}-group. Original Russian Text Copyright ? 2007 Kondrat’ev A. S. The author was supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (Grant 04-01-00463) and the RFBR-NSFC (Grant 05-01-39000). __________ Translated from Sibirskiĭ Matematicheskiĭ Zhurnal, Vol. 48, No. 6, pp. 1250–1271, November–December, 2007.     

Normal relatively convex subgroups of solvable orderable groups

Orderable solvable groups in which every relatively convex subgroup is normal are studied. If such a class is subgroup closed than it is precisely the class of solvable orderable groups which are locally of finite (Mal’tsev) rank. A criterion for an orderable metabelian group to have every relatively convex subgroup normal is given. Examples of an orderable solvable group G of length three with periodic G/G′ and of an orderable solvable group of length four with only one proper normal relatively convex subgroup are constructed. To the memory of N. Ya. Medvedev Supported by RFBR (project No. 03-01-00320). Translated from Algebra i Logika, Vol. 48, No. 3, pp. 291–308, May–June, 2009.     

Universally equivalent solvable groups

Every group that is finitely presented in the varietyA ⁿ of solvable groups. and is universally equivalent to a free group F_r(A ⁿ) in this variety, is embedded in the Cartesian degree of F₂(A ⁿ). All subgroups on a set of two generators in that Cartesian degree which are universally equivalent to F₂(A ⁿ) are determined. Free solvable and nilpotent groups are proved universally equivalent. Supported by RFFR grant No. 99-01-00567, and through the RP “Universities of Russia. Fundamental Research.” Translated fromAlgebra i Logika, Vol. 39, No. 2, pp. 227–240, March–April, 2000.     

Free subgroups of one-relator relative presentations

Suppose that G is a non-trivial torsion-free group and w is a word over the alphabet G ⋃ {x ₁ ^±1 ,⋯,x _n ^±1 }. It is proved that, for n ⩾ 2, the group always contains a non-Abelian free subgroup. For n = 1, the question whether there exist non-Abelian free subgroups in is amply settled for the unimodular case (i.e., where the exponent sum of x₁ in w is one). Some generalizations of these results are discussed. Supported by RFBR grant No. 05-01-00895. __________ Translated from Algebra i Logika, Vol. 46, No. 3, pp. 290–298, May–June, 2007.     

Weight functions on groups and an amenability criterion for Beurling algebras

The paper is devoted to the study of weights on groups. A connection between weight functions and harmonic functions is established. A relationship between the weight theory on groups with the “Tychonoff property” and the theory of bounded cohomology is presented. It is proved that the Beurling algebraℓ1 (G, ω) constructed for the weightω is amenable if and only if the groupG is amenable and the weightω is equivalent to a multiplicative characterχ:G→ℝ₊. Translated fromMatematicheskie Zametki, Vol. 60, No. 3, pp. 448–460, September, 1996. This research was partially supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research under grant No. 96-01-00974 and by the INTAS Foundation under grant No. 94-3420.     

Minimal permutation representations of finite simple exceptional groups of typesG 2 andF 4

A minimal permutation representation of a group is a faithful permutation representation of least degree. Well-studied to date are the minimal permutation representations of finite sporadic and classical groups for which degrees, point stabilizers, as well as ranks, subdegrees, and double stabilizers, have been found. Here we attempt to provide a similar account for finite simple ezceptional groups of types G₂ and F₄. Supported by RFFR grant No. 96-01-01893, the program “Universities of Russia,” and by International Science Foundation and Government of Russia grant No. RPC300. Translated fromAlgebra i Logika, Vol. 35, No. 6, pp. 663–684, November–December, 1996.     

Irreducible characters with equal roots in the groups Sn and An

We show that treating of (non-trivial) pairs of irreducible characters of the group S_n sharing the same set of roots on one of the sets A_n and S_n \ A_n is divided into three parts. This, in particular, implies that any pair of such characters χ^α and χ^β (α and β are respective partitions of a number n) possesses the following property: lengths d(α) and d(β) of principal diagonals of Young diagrams for α and β differ by at most 1. Supported by RFBR grant No. 04-01-00463 and by RFBR-NSFC grant No. 05-01-39000. __________ Translated from Algebra i Logika, Vol. 46, No. 1, pp. 3–25, January–February, 2007.     

Irreducible characters of the group S n that are semiproportional on A n

Previously, we dubbed the conjecture that the alternating group A_n has no semiproportional irreducible characters for any natural n [1]. This conjecture was then shown to be equivalent to the following [3]. Let α and β be partitions of a number n such that their corresponding characters χ^α and χ^β in the group S_n are semiproportional on A_n. Then one of the partitions α or β is self-associated. Here, we describe all pairs (α, β) of partitions satisfying the hypothesis and the conclusion of the latter conjecture. Supported by RFBR (grant No. 07-01-00148) and by RFBR-NSFC (grant No. 05-01-39000). __________ Translated from Algebra i Logika, Vol. 47, No. 2, pp. 135–156, March–April, 2008.     

The <Emphasis Type="Italic">p</Emphasis>-rank of Ext<Subscript>ℤ</Subscript>(<Emphasis Type="Italic">G</Emphasis>, ℤ) in certain models of <Emphasis Type="Italic">ZFC</Emphasis>

We prove that if the existence of a supercompact cardinal is consistent with ZFC, then it is consistent with ZFC that the p-rank of Ext _ℤ(G, ℤ) is as large as possible for every prime p and for any torsion-free Abelian group G. Moreover, given an uncountable strong limit cardinal μ of countable cofinality and a partition of Π (the set of primes) into two disjoint subsets Π₀ and Π₁, we show that in some model which is very close to ZFC, there is an almost free Abelian group G of size 2^μ = μ⁺ such that the p-rank of Ext _ℤ(G, ℤ) equals 2^μ = μ⁺ for every p ∈ Π₀ and 0 otherwise, that is, for p ∈ Π₁. Number 874 in Shelah’s list of publications. Supported by the German-Israeli Foundation for Scientific Research & Development project No. I-706-54.6/2001. Supported by a grant from the German Research Foundation DFG. __________ Translated from Algebra i Logika, Vol. 46, No. 3, pp. 369–397, May–June, 2007.     

Large hyperbolic lattices

For a fundamental group of a compact orientable manifold, a condition is specified that is sufficient to guarantee the presence of a “virtual” epimorphism onto a free non-Abelian group. A consequence is deriving a strong Tits alternative. An arbitrary noncompact finitely generated discrete subgroup in PO(3, 1) either is large or is virtually Abelian. An application is provided to the problem of uniform exponential growth for lattices in a 3-dimensional hyperbolic space and of growth of Betti numbers for lattices in a hyperbolic n-dimensional space, where n is an odd number. Supported by RFBR (project No. 08-01-00067), by DFG grant Gr 627-11, and by Forschergruppe “Spektrale Analysis, asymptotical Verteilungen und stochastische Dynamiken,” Billfold University. (G. A. Noskov) Translated from Algebra i Logika, Vol. 48, No. 2, pp. 174–189, March–April, 2009.     

Groups with an almost regular involution

An involution j of a group G is said to be almost perfect in G if any two involutions in j^G whose product has infinite order are conjugated by a suitable involution in j^G. Let G contain an almost perfect involution j and |C_G(j)| < ∞. Then the following statements hold: (1) [j,G] is contained in an FC-radical of G, and |G: [j,G]| ⩽ |C_G(j)|; (2) the commutant of an FC-radical of G is finite; (3) FC(G) contains a normal nilpotent class 2 subgroup of finite index in G. __________ Translated from Algebra i Logika, Vol. 46, No. 3, pp. 360–368, May–June, 2007.