Sporadic groups and automorphisms of linear spaces

This article is a contribution to the study of the automorphism groups of finite linear spaces. In particular we look at almost simple groups and prove the following theorem: Let G be an almost simple group and let 𝒮 be a finite linear space on which G acts as a line‐transitive automorphism group. Then the socle of G is not a sporadic group. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Combin Designs 8: 353–362, 2000     

The conjugacy problem for Dehn twist automorphisms of free groups

A Dehn twist automorphism of a group G is an automorphism which can be given (as specified below) in terms of a graph-of-groups decomposition of G with infinite cyclic edge groups. The classic example is that of an automorphism of the fundamental group of a surface which is induced by a Dehn twist homeomorphism of the surface. For , a non-abelian free group of finite rank n, a normal form for Dehn twist is developed, and it is shown that this can be used to solve the conjugacy problem for Dehn twist automorphisms of . Received: February 12, 1996.     

Constructions of large translation nets with nonabelian translation groups

In this paper the first infinite series of translation nets with nonabelian translation groups and a large number of parallel classes are constructed. For that purpose we investigate partial congruence partitions (PCPs) with at least one normal component.Two series correspond to partial congruence partitions containing one normal elementary abelian component. The construction results by using some basic facts about the first cohomology group of the translation group G regarded as an extension of the normal component which itself is a group of central translations.The other series correspond to partial congruence partitions containing two normal nonabelian components. The constructions are based on the well known automorphism method which leads to so-called splitting translation nets. By investigating the Suzuki groups Sz(q), the protective unitary groups PSU(3, q ²) and the Ree groups R(q) as doubly transitive permutation groups, we obtain examples of nonabelian groups admitting a large number of pairwise orthogonal fixed-point-free group automorphisms.     

Automorphism groups of some algebras

The automorphism groups of algebras are found in many papers. Using auto-invariance, we find the automorphism groups of the Laurent extension of the polynomial ring and the quantum n-plane (respectively, twisting polynomial ring) in this work. As an application of the results of this work, we can find the automorphism group of a twisting algebra. We define a generalized Weyl algebra and show that the generalized Weyl algebra is simple. We also find the automorphism group of a generalized Weyl algebra. We show that the generalized Weyl algebra A _m,m+n is the universal enveloping algebra of the generalized Witt algebra W(m,m + n). This work was supported by 2007 Research fund of Hanyang University     

Dimension and automorphism groups of lattices

Every group is the automorphism group of a lattice of order dimension at most 4. We conjecture that the automorphism groups of finite modular lattices of bounded dimension do not represent every finite group. It is shown that ifp is a large prime dividing the order of the automorphism group of a finite modular latticeL then eitherL has high order dimension orM _p, the lattice of height 2 and orderp+2, has a cover-preserving embedding inL. We mention a number of open problems. Presented by C. R. Platt.     

Action of some braid groups on hodge algebras

In this paper we show that the braid groups B _n and the symmetric automorphism groups H(n) of the free group F _n,n = 3,4 act in a non-linear way on an algebra with straightening law (ordinal Hodge algebra). We indicate various properties of these rings.     

Finite extensions of free pro-P groups of rank at most two

For a pro-p groupG, containing a free pro-p open normal subgroup of rank at most 2, a characterization as the fundamental group of a connected graph of cyclic groups of order at mostp, and an explicit list of all such groups with trivial center are given. It is shown that any automorphism of a free pro-p group of rank 2 of coprime finite order is induced by an automorphism of the Frattini factor groupF/F ^* . Finally, a complete list of automorphisms of finite order, up to conjugacy in Aut(F), is given. Supported by an NSERC grant. Supported by the Austrian Science Foundation.     

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.     

On the groups of unitriangular automorphisms of relatively free groups

We describe the structure of the group U _n of unitriangular automorphisms of the relatively free group G _n of finite rank n in an arbitrary variety C of groups. This enables us to introduce an effective concept of normal form for the elements and present U _n by using generators and defining relations. The cases n = 1, 2 are obvious: U ₁ is trivial, and U ₂ is cyclic. For n ?? 3 we prove the following: If G _n?1 is a nilpotent group then so is U _n . If G _n?1 is a nilpotent-by-finite group then U _n admits a faithful matrix representation. But if the variety C is different from the variety of all groups and G _n?1 is not nilpotent-by-finite then U _n admits no faithful matrix representation over any field. Thus, we exhaustively classify linearity for the groups of unitriangular automorphisms of finite rank relatively free groups in proper varieties of groups, which complements the results of Olshanskii on the linearity of the full automorphism groups AutG _n . Moreover, we introduce the concept of length of an automorphism of an arbitrary relatively free group G _n and estimate the length of the inverse automorphism in the case that it is unitriangular.     

Solvability of the conjugacy problem for finite subgroups in automorphism groups of free groups

We prove that there exists an algorithm which solves a conjugacy problem for finite subgroups in automorphism and outer automorphism groups of a free group of finite rank. Of independent interest is the construction of an algorithm of decomposing an arbitrary free-by-finite group into a fundamental group of a finite graph of finite groups, with the number of steps evaluated explicitly. In passing, we solve the conjugacy problem for finite subgroups in almost free groups. As a consequence, an algorithm is obtained computing generating sets for a group of fixed points in an arbitrary finite automorphism group of a free group of finite rank.Translated fromAlgebra i Logika, Vol. 34, No. 5, pp. 558–606, September-October, 1995.Supported by the RFFR grant No. 93-011-1508 and by the ISF (International Science Foundation) grant RPC000.     

Automorphisms of groups and of schemes of finite type

We show first that certain automorphism groups of algebraic varieties, and even schemes, are residually finite and virtually torsion free. (A group virtually has a property if some subgroup of finite index has it.) The rest of the paper is devoted to a study of the groups of automorphisms. Aut(Γ) and outer automorphisms Out(Γ) of a finitely generated group Γ, by using the finite-dimensional representations of Γ. This is an old idea (cf. the discussion of Magnus in [11]). In particular the classes of semi-simplen-dimensional representations of Γ are parametrized by an algebraic varietyS _n (Γ) on which Out(Γ) acts. We can apply the above results to this action and sometimes conclude that Out(Γ) is residually finite and virtually torsion free. This is true, for example, when Γ is a free group, or a surface group. In the latter case Out(Γ) is a “mapping class group.” Partially supported by the NSF under Grant MCS 80-05802.     

Direct products of automorphism groups of graphs

In this article we study the product action of the direct product of automorphism groups of graphs. We generalize the results of Watkins [J. Combin Theory 11 (1971), 95–104], Nowitz and Watkins [Monatsh. Math. 76 (1972), 168–171] and W. Imrich [Israel J. Math. 11 (1972), 258–264], and we show that except for an infinite family of groups S_n × S_n, n≥2 and three other groups D₄ × S₂, D₄ × D₄ and S₄ × S₂ × S₂, the direct product of automorphism groups of two graphs is itself the automorphism group of a graph. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Graph Theory 62: 26–36, 2009     

Real loci of based loop groups

Let (G, K) be a Riemannian symmetric pair of maximal rank, where G is a compact simply connected Lie group and K is the fixed point set of an involutive automorphism σ. This induces an involutive automorphism τ of the based loop space Ω(G). There exists a maximal torus T ⊂ G such that the canonical action of T × S ¹ on Ω(G) is compatible with τ (in the sense of Duistermaat). This allows us to formulate and prove a version of Duistermaat’s convexity theorem. Namely, the images of Ω(G) and Ω(G) ^τ (fixed point set of τ) under the T × S ¹ moment map on Ω(G) are equal. The space Ω(G) ^τ is homotopy equivalent to the loop space Ω(G/K) of the Riemannian symmetric space G/K. We prove a stronger form of a result of Bott and Samelson which relates the cohomology rings with coefficients in \mathbbZ₂ {\mathbb{Z}_2} of Ω(G) and Ω(G/K). Namely, the two cohomology rings are isomorphic, by a degree-halving isomorphism (Bott and Samelson [BS] had proved that the Betti numbers are equal). A version of this theorem involving equivariant cohomology is also proved. The proof uses the notion of conjugation space in the sense of Hausmann, Holm, and Puppe [HHP].     

On the first cohomology of arithmetic groups

We study the restriction to smaller subgroups, of cohomology classes on arithmetic groups (possibly after moving the class by Hecke correspondences), especially in the context of first cohomology of arithmetic groups. We obtain vanishing results for the first cohomology of cocompact arithmetic lattices in SU(n,1) which arise from hermitian forms over division algebras D of degree p ², p an odd prime, equipped with an involution of the second kind. We show that it is not possible for a ‘naive’ restriction of cohomology to be injective in general. We also establish that the restriction map is injective at the level of first cohomology for non co-compact lattices, extending a result of Raghunathan and Venkataramana for co-compact lattices. Received: 14 September 2000 / Accepted: 6 June 2001     

Small conjugacy classes in the automorphism groups of relatively free groups

Let F be an infinitely generated free group and let R be a fully invariant subgroup of F such that (a) R is contained in the commutator subgroup F^′ of F and (b) the quotient group F/R is residually torsion-free nilpotent. Then the automorphism group of the group F/R^′ is complete. In particular, the automorphism group of any infinitely generated free solvable group of derived length at least two is complete.This extends a result by Dyer and Formanek (1977) [7] on finitely generated groups F_n/R^′ where F_n is a free group of finite rank n at least two and R a characteristic subgroup of F_n.     

Weakly power automorphisms of groups

An automorphism α of a group G is called a weakly power automorphism if it maps every non-periodic subgroup of G onto itself. The aim of this paper is to investigate the behavior of weakly power automorphisms. In particular, among other results, it is proved that all weakly power automorphisms of a soluble non-periodic group G of derived length at most 3 are power automorphisms, i.e. they fix all subgroups of G. This result is best possible, as there exists a soluble non-periodic group of derived length 4 admitting a weakly power automorphism, which is not a power automorphism.     

A rigidity theorem for automorphism groups of trees

A group G is called unsplittable if Hom(G, ℤ) = 0 and this group is not a non-trivial amalgam. Let X be a tree with a countable number of edges incident at each vertex and G be its automorphism group. In this paper we prove that the vertex stabilizers are unsplittable groups. Bass and Lubotzky proved (see [3]) that for certain locally finite trees X, the automorphism group determines the tree X (that is, knowing the automorphism group we can “construct” the tree X). We generalize this Theorem of Bass and Lubotzky, using the above result. In particular we show that the Theorem holds even for trees which are not locally finite. Moreover, we prove that the permutation group of an infinite countable set is unsplittable and the infinite (or finite) cartesian product of unsplittable groups is an unsplittable group as well. This research was supported by the European Social Fund and National resources-EPEAEK II grant Pythagoras 70/3/7298.     

Free products of groups have no outer normal automorphisms

An automorphism of an arbitrary group is called normal if all subgroups of this group are left invariant by it. Lubotski [1] and Lue [2] showed that every normal automorphism of a noncyclic free group is inner. Here we prove that every normal automorphism of a nontrivial free product of groups is inner as well. Supported by RFFR grant No. 13-011-1513. Translated fromAlgebra i Logika, Vol. 35, No. 5, pp. 562–566, September–October, 1996.     

The construction of affine structures on virtually nilpotent groups

In this paper we establish faithful affine representations for 2-step nilpotent Lie groupsG and the associated groupsG×Aut (G), which play a crucial role in the theory of infra-nilmanifolds. Afterwards, we apply the obtained results, in order to find representations of 3-step Almost-crystallographic groups. Finally, we indicate how all of this might be used to compute the second cohomology group of an Almost-crystallographic group with coefficients in a free abelian group.