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41 votes
8 answers
16k views

What are some good group theory references?

I'm curious about what books people use for a group theory reference. I don't currently own a dedicated group theory book, and I think I'd find such a book very helpful in my research. What is your ...
3 votes
1 answer
263 views

Nonisomorphic central products on the same pair of groups?

A central product of two groups $G$ and $H$ is determined as follows. The groups $G$ and $H$ have respective central subgroups $A$ and $B$ which are isomorphic, let $\delta:A\rightarrow B$ be such ...
71 votes
28 answers
8k views

Results from abstract algebra which look wrong (but are true)

There are many statements in abstract algebra, often asked by beginners, which are just too good to be true. For example, if $N$ is a normal subgroup of a group $G$, is $G/N$ isomorphic to a subgroup ...
6 votes
0 answers
244 views

What can lattices tell us about lattices?

A general group-theoretic lattice is usually defined as something like A discrete subgroup $\Gamma$ of a locally compact group $G$ is a lattice if the quotient $G/\Gamma$ carries a $G$-invariant ...
40 votes
6 answers
5k views

What are some interesting corollaries of the classification of finite simple groups?

The classification of finite simple groups, whether it be viewed as finished, or as a work in progress, is (or will be) without doubt an enormous achievement. It clearly sheds a great deal of light on ...
6 votes
2 answers
351 views

Differences between $p$-groups and $q$-groups

First, let me include the same disclaimer that goes in the first line of any article I write: all groups considered herein are finite. Academically, I work with connecting the arithmetic structure of ...
16 votes
3 answers
1k views

How can I tell if a group is linear?

The basic question is in the title, but I am interested in both necessary and sufficient conditions. I know the Tits' alternative and Malcev's result that finitely generated linear groups are ...
8 votes
2 answers
850 views

Geometric or topological results from group theory

Do you know interesting examples of purely geometric or topological results which can be proved using group theory? To make precise what I have in mind, let us consider the two following examples: ...
2 votes
9 answers
2k views

Examples of amenable groups other than finite groups

I'm reading about amenable groups. What are explicit examples of nonabelian discrete amenable groups other than finite groups? Perhaps a group presentation or matrix representation would be useful.
9 votes
7 answers
3k views

Hopfian and Co-Hopfian groups (examples)

Hi, I'm looking for examples of groups that are both Hopfian and Co-Hopfian. I have a non trivial (and beautiful, at least to me) example: $\mathrm{SL}(n,\mathbb{Z})$ (with $n>2$). Do you know ...
6 votes
4 answers
647 views

Examples of results first proved using geometrical methods?

Hi all, I am beginning to learn about geometric group theory. I would like to write a little exposé intended to be read by the uninitated, so it would be nice to talk about (preferably simple) ...
25 votes
10 answers
4k views

Examples of non-abelian groups arising in nature without any natural action

It's said that most groups arise through their actions. For instance, Galois groups arise in Galois theory as automorphisms of field extensions. Linear groups arise as automorphisms of vector spaces, ...
16 votes
3 answers
2k views

Your favorite papers on geometric group theory

I would like to improve my "depth of understanding" in geometric group theory. So I am interested in short and accessible papers on subjects related to this field but which are not always ...
8 votes
0 answers
1k views

Examples of uncountable abelian $p$-groups

Does anyone know of any interesting examples of an infinite abelian $p$-group which is uncountable? By non-interesting here I mean the direct sums of cylic and quasi-cylic groups, and totally ...
38 votes
7 answers
4k views

Lie group examples

I'm looking for interesting applications of Lie groups for an introductory Lie groups graduate course. In particular I'd like to hear of non-standard examples that at first sight do not seem to be ...
9 votes
3 answers
735 views

Judging whether a finitely presented group is a 3-manifold group?

Given a finitely presented group $G$, how many necessary conditions do people know for $G$ to be isomorphic to the fundamental group of some closed connected 3-manifold? (e.g. residually finite)
2 votes
2 answers
528 views

Characterizations of amenable groups which use the space $\ell_1(G)$ and convolution

Let $G$ be a discrete group. Do you know characterizations of amenable groups which use the space $\ell_1(G)$ and convolution? I only know Johnson's theorem: A group is amenable if and only if the ...
16 votes
3 answers
2k views

What are the main open problems in the theory of amenability of groups?

I have read the Paterson and Runde books about amenability of groups, but I do not know what are the most intriguing questions in this area today. A survey or a list of questions would be welcome.
3 votes
3 answers
569 views

Free ergodic probability measure-preserving actions of the free group

Let $(X,\mathcal{B},\mu)$ be a standard Borel probability space. Let $\Gamma$ be a countable group. An action of $\Gamma$ on $X$ is: essentially free if for all $g \in \Gamma \setminus \{e \}$,...
10 votes
1 answer
2k views

Open problems concerning all the finite groups

What are the open problems concerning all the finite groups? The references will be appreciated. Here are two examples: Aschbacher-Guralnick conjecture (AG1984 p.447): the number of conjugacy ...
18 votes
7 answers
3k views

Examples of residually-finite groups

One of the main reasons I only supervised one PhD student is that I find it hard to find an appropriate topic for a PhD project. A good approach, in my view, is to have on the one hand a list of ...
85 votes
23 answers
11k views

Solving algebraic problems with topology

Often, topologists reduce a problem which is - in some sense - of geometric nature, into an algebraic question that is then (partiallly) solved to give back some understanding of the original problem. ...
56 votes
14 answers
21k views

Fantastic properties of Z/2Z

Recently I gave a lecture to master's students about some nice properties of the group with two elements $\mathbb{Z}/2\mathbb{Z}$. Typically, I wanted to present simple, natural situations where the ...
9 votes
7 answers
765 views

Important combinatorial and algebraic interpretations of the coefficients in the polynomial $[n]!_q = (1+q)(1+q+q^2) \ldots (1+q+\cdots + q^{n-1})$

What are some important combinatorial and algebraic interpretations of the coefficients in the polynomial $$[n]!_q = (1+q)(1+q+q^2) \ldots (1+q+\cdots + q^{n-1})?$$ As motivation, I will give ...
4 votes
1 answer
416 views

Functors on the category of abelian groups which satisfy $F(G\times H) \cong F(G)\otimes_{\mathbb{Z}} F(H)$

Edit: According to the comment of Todd Trimble, I revise the question. What are some examples of functors $F$ on the category of Abelian groups or category of rings which satisfy $$F(G\times H)\cong ...
1 vote
1 answer
312 views

Topological Invariants for Group

Let $\mathbf{Grp}$ be the category of groups and $\mathbf{Top}$ be the category of topological spaces. To each group $(G, \circ_G)$, we can associate a topological space $(G,\tau_G)$ the basis for ...
4 votes
0 answers
270 views

Has the external knit product been used to construct a previously unknown group?

In the Wikipedia article Zappa–Szép product , the knit product (a.k.a. Zappa–Szép product, Zappa–Rédei-Szép product, general product, exact factorization) is defined, and its basic properties are laid ...
9 votes
0 answers
182 views

$p$-groups and the arithmetic of $p$

I cannot think of an example of a property of a $p$-group or a pro-$p$ group that depends on the arithmetic of the prime number $p$. To clarify l do not mean the size of $p$. Clearly lots of stuff ...
9 votes
1 answer
753 views

List of finitely presented groups with undecidable word problem

Is there any reasonably updated list of (representative) examples of finitely presented groups with undecidable word problem? By "representative" I mean "avoiding obvious redundancy", i.e. examples ...
36 votes
17 answers
6k views

Canonical examples of algebraic structures

Please list some examples of common examples of algebraic structures. I was thinking answers of the following form. "When I read about a [insert structure here], I immediately think of [example]." ...
41 votes
3 answers
3k views

Names of finite groups

Question: If you have a finite group, how do you name it? If, for whatever reason, you have to list all subgroups of $GL_2({\mathbb F}_5)$ up to isomorphism in a paper, you are likely to write ...
12 votes
3 answers
2k views

Database of finite presentations of used groups

Do You know any kind of database of presentations of groups? It may be on-line or off-line in form of tables, ideally case would be integrated in some Computer Algebra System. I am interested the ...
0 votes
0 answers
75 views

The set of (property) elements of a locally compact group is closed

For which properties $(P)$ is the following statement known to be true? In any locally compact group $G$, the elements of $G$ that satisfy $(P)$ form a closed subset of $G$. In other words, the ...
4 votes
1 answer
556 views

Symmetries of the standard probability space

The standard probability space $(I, \mathcal B, \lambda)$ consists of the interval $I = [0,1]$, its Borel $\sigma$-algebra $\mathcal B := \mathcal B(I)$ and Lebesgue measure $\lambda$. In applications,...
8 votes
3 answers
9k views

Applications of Group Theory Which Motivate Theoretical Questions?

I'm going to be a teaching assistant for an undergraduate class in abstract algebra next semester, for students who have not taken abstract algebra before. It will deal with group theory and linear ...