Bounds in the Theory of Finite Covers

We give an upper bound for the number of conjugacy classes of closed subgroups of the full wreath product FWr_WSym(Ω) which project onto Sym(Ω). Here, Ω is infinite, W is the set of n-tuples of distinct elements from Ω (for some finite n), F is a finite nilpotent group, and the topology on the wreath product is that of pointwise convergence in its imprimitive permutation action. The result addresses a problem which arises in a natural model-theoretic context about classifying certain types of finite covers.     

The automorphism group of a product of hypergraphs

A theorem of G. Sabidussi (1959, Duke Math. J. 26, 693–696) gives necessary and sufficient conditions for the automorphism group of the wreath product of two graphs to be the wreath product of their respective automorphism groups. In this paper we define a wreath product of hypergraphs and prove a theorem extending that of Sabidussi.     

Automorphism group and dimension of ordered sets

It is shown that a finite groupG is isomorphic to the automorphism group of a two-dimensional ordered set if and only if it is a generalized wreath product of symmetric groups over an ordered index set that is a dual tree. Furthermore, every finite abelian group is isomorphic to the full automorphism group of a three-dimensional ordered set. Also every finite group is isomorphic to the automorphism group of an ordered set that does not contain an induced crown with more than four elements.     

On Primitive Cellular Algebras

First we define and study the exponentiation of a cellular algebra by a permutation group that is similar to the corresponding operation (the wreath product in primitive action) in permutation group theory. Necessary and sufficient conditions for the resulting cellular algebra to be primitive and Schurian are given. This enables us to construct infinite series of primitive non-Schurian algebras. Also we define and study, for cellular algebras, the notion of a base, which is similar to that for permutation groups. We present an upper bound for the size of an irredundant base of a primitive cellular algebra in terms of the parameters of its standard representation. This produces new upper bounds for the order of the automorphism group of such an algebra and in particular for the order of a primitive permutation group. Finally, we generalize to 2-closed primitive algebras some classical theorems for primitive groups and show that the hypothesis for a primitive algebra to be 2-closed is essential. Bibliography: 16 titles.     

On the Loewy Length and the Noetherian Dimension of Artinian Modules

The problem of computing the automorphism groups of an elementary Abelian Hadamard difference set or equivalently of a bent function seems to have attracted not much interest so far. We describe some series of such sets and compute their automorphism group. For some of these sets the construction is based on the nonvanishing of the degree 1-cohomology of certain Chevalley groups in characteristic two. We also classify bent functions f such that Aut(f) together with the translations from the underlying vector space induce a rank 3 group of automorphisms of the associated symmetric design. Finally, we discuss computational aspects associated with such questions.     

Geometry for palindromic automorphism groups of free groups

We examine the palindromic automorphism group , of a free group F _n , a group first defined by Collins in [5] which is related to hyperelliptic involutions of mapping class groups, congruence subgroups of , and symmetric automorphism groups of free groups. Cohomological properties of the group are explored by looking at a contractible space on which acts properly with finite quotient. Our results answer some conjectures of Collins and provide a few striking results about the cohomology of , such as that its rational cohomology is zero at the vcd. Received: January 17, 2000.     

The probability of generating certain profinite groups by two elements

In this paper we consider the question of finite generation of profinite groups. We study the class of profinite groups which are inverse limits of wreath products of alternating groups of degree ≥5. We prove that the probability of generating such inverse limits by two elements is strictly positive and tends to 1 as the degree of the first factor tends to infinity. Our method of analysis requires a survey of the maximal subgroups of iterated wreath products of alternating groups. Although we have been unable to classify these precisely we do obtain upper bounds for the number of conjugacy classes of maximal subgroups which we believe to be of independent interest. The author is grateful for financial support received under the FCO-award scheme.     

On infinite dimensional quadratic Volterra operators

In this paper we study a class of quadratic operators named by Volterra operators on infinite dimensional space. We prove that such operators have infinitely many fixed points and the set of Volterra operators forms a convex compact set. In addition, it is described its extreme points. Besides, we study certain limit behaviors of such operators and give some more examples of Volterra operators for which their trajectories do not converge. Finally, we define a compatible sequence of finite dimensional Volterra operators and prove that any power of this sequence converges in weak topology.     

Hecke Operators on Linear Ordinary Differential Equations

We construct Hecke operators acting on the space of certain linear ordinary differential equations, and describe a Hermitian inner product on the space of such differential equations. We also determine the adjoint of the Hecke operator with respect to this inner product, and prove that the space of ordinary differential equations associated to an automorphic form for a certain discrete subgroup of SL(2, R) has a basis consisting of common eigenvectors of a class of Hecke operators.     

Curve Complexes and Finite Index Subgroups of Mapping Class Groups

Let Mod(S) be the extended mapping class group of a surface S. For S the twice-punctured torus, we show that there exists an isomorphism of finite index subgroups of Mod(S) which is not the restriction of any inner automorphism. For S a torus with at least three punctures, we show that every injection of a finite index subgroup of Mod(S) into Mod(S) is the restriction of an inner automorphism of Mod(S); this completes a program begun by Irmak. We also establish the co-Hopf property for finite index subgroups of Mod(S).Dan Margalit: Partially supported by an NSF postdoctoral fellowship     

Reflexible maps and hypermaps with face–stabilisers pointwise stabilising half the faces

This paper deals mainly with reflexible hypermaps in which the stabiliser of a hyperface fixes exactly half the hyperfaces - these reflexible hypermaps are called here 2-dichromatic. The number of hyperfaces of any 2-dichromatic hypermap must be necessarily even and greater than or equal to 4. We prove that if then is necessarily orientable and of type , for some positive integers , and , and show that the automorphism group of a 2-dichromatic hypermap is a wreath product. We also construct an infinite family of orientable 2-dichromatic hypermaps of type with 2n hyperfaces (n even). If is a 2-dichromatic map then . In 1959 Sherk [19] described an infinite family of orientable maps, he denoted by , where , and are positive integers satisfying certain conditions. We find in the dual family a subfamily of infinitely many 2-dichromatic maps. Received 23 August 1999; revised 27 March 2000.     

Coleman Automorphisms of Permutational Wreath Products

Let N be a finite nontrivial nilpotent group and H a finite centerless permutation group on a finite set Ω (i.e., H acts faithfully on Ω). Let G = N?H = N^|Ω| ? H be the corresponding permutational wreath product of N by H. It is shown that every Coleman automorphism of G is an inner automorphism. This generalizes a well-known result due to Petit Lobão and Sehgal stating that the normalizer property holds for complete monomial groups with nilpotent base groups.     

Finite state wreath powers of transformation semigroups

The finite state wreath power of a transformation semigroup is introduced. It is proved that the finite state wreath power of nontrivial semigroup is not finitely generated and in some cases even does not contain irreducible generating systems. The free product of two monogenic semigroups of index 1 and period m is constructed in the finite state wreath power of corresponding monogenic monoid.     

Nonabelian 1-cohomologies and conjugacy of finite subgroups in some extensions

We describe the conjugacy classes of finite subgroups in some split extensions using the notion of 1-cocycle and 1-coboundary with values in a noncommutative group. We prove that each finite subgroup in the automorphism group of a free Lie algebra of rank 3 is conjugated with a subgroup of the linear automorphism group provided that the group order does not divide the characteristic of the ground field.     

Semicomplete Permutational Wreath Products

A group is called semicomplete if every automorphism which induces the identity on the factor commutator group is inner. In this paper, we study the connection of the semicompleteness of the permutational wreath product W of two groups with the semicompleteness of these groups. We give necessary conditions under which the group W is semicomplete.2000 Mathematics Subject Classification: 20E22, 20E36     

Description of periodic p-harmonic functions on Cayley tree

We show that any periodic (with respect to normal subgroups of finite index of the group representation of the Cayley tree) p-harmonic function on a Cayley tree is a constant. For some normal subgroups of infinite index we describe a class of (non-constant) periodic p-harmonic functions. We also prove that linear combinations of the p-harmonic functions described for normal subgroups of infinite index are also p-harmonic.     

A generalization of the first Malcev theorem on nilpotent semigroups and nilpotency of the wreath product of semigroups

We describe all [0-]simple semigroups that are nilpotent in the sense of Malcev. This generalizes the first Malcev theorem on nilpotent (in the sense of Malcev) semigroups. It is proved that if the extended standard wreath product of semigroups is nilpotent in the sense of Malcev and the passive semigroup is not nilpotent, then the active semigroup of the wreath product is a finite nilpotent group. In addition to that, the passive semigroup is uniform periodic. Necessary and sufficient conditions are found under which the extended standard wreath product of semigroups is nilpotent in the sense of Malcev in the case where each of the semigroups of the wreath product generates a variety of finite step.     

Finite groups with an almost regular automorphism of order four

P. Shumyatsky’s question 11.126 in the “Kourovka Notebook” is answered in the affirmative: it is proved that there exist a constant c and a function of a positive integer argument f(m) such that if a finite group G admits an automorphism ϕ of order 4 having exactly m fixed points, then G has a normal series G ⩾ H ⩽ N such that |G/H| ⩽ f(m), the quotient group H/N is nilpotent of class ⩽ 2, and the subgroup N is nilpotent of class ⩽ c (Thm. 1). As a corollary we show that if a locally finite group G contains an element of order 4 with finite centralizer of order m, then G has the same kind of a series as in Theorem 1. Theorem 1 generalizes Kovács’ theorem on locally finite groups with a regular automorphism of order 4, whereby such groups are center-by-metabelian. Earlier, the first author proved that a finite 2-group with an almost regular automorphism of order 4 is almost center-by-metabelian. The proof of Theorem 1 is based on the authors’ previous works dealing in Lie rings with an almost regular automorphism of order 4. Reduction to nilpotent groups is carried out by using Hall-Higman type theorems. The proof also uses Theorem 2, which is of independent interest, stating that if a finite group S contains a nilpotent subgroup T of class c and index |S: T | = n, then S contains also a characteristic nilpotent subgroup of class ⩽ c whose index is bounded in terms of n and c. Previously, such an assertion has been known for Abelian subgroups, that is, for c = 1. __________ Translated from Algebra i Logika, Vol. 45, No. 5, pp. 575–602, September–October, 2006.