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33 votes
3 answers
6k views

(co)homology of symmetric groups

Let $S_n=\{\text{bijections }[n]\to[n]\}$ be the n-th symmetric group. Its (co)homology will be understood with trivial action. What are the $\mathbb{Z}$-modules $H_k(S_n;\mathbb{Z})$? Using GAP, we ...
Leo's user avatar
  • 1,589
26 votes
2 answers
1k views

Is the cohomology ring of a finite group computable?

Is there an algorithm which halts on all inputs that takes as input a finite group ($p$-group if you like) and outputs a finite presentation of the cohomology ring (with trivial coefficients $\mathbb{...
Joshua Grochow's user avatar
24 votes
0 answers
813 views

Revising the proof of CFSG

This is an oft-quoted excerpt from John Thompson's article "Finite Non-Solvable Groups": “... the classification of finite simple groups is an exercise in taxonomy. This is obvious to the ...
semisimpleton's user avatar
19 votes
1 answer
512 views

Is the map $\mathrm H^4(S_{24}) \to \mathrm H^4(M_{24})$ surjective?

The group $S_{24}$ of permutations of $24$ things has fourth integral cohomology $\mathrm H^4(S_{24};\mathbb Z) \cong \mathbb Z/2 \oplus \mathbb Z/2 \oplus \mathbb Z/12$. According to Sikiric and ...
Theo Johnson-Freyd's user avatar
19 votes
0 answers
604 views

How is this group theoretic construct called?

Let $G$ be a finite group, $S\subset G$ a generating set, $|g| = |g|_S = $ word length with respect to $S$. Define the "defect" of $g,h$ to be $$\psi(g,h) = |g|+|h|-|gh|$$ Then $\psi:G\times G \...
user avatar
17 votes
1 answer
925 views

Crossed modules and degree-3 group cohomology

It is well known (see e.g. K. Brown, "Cohomology of groups") that a degree-3 cohomology class of a group G with coefficients in a module A can be thought of as an equivalence class of crossed modules, ...
Anton Kapustin's user avatar
17 votes
1 answer
575 views

Group cochains invariant under the action of the symmetric group

Let $G$ be a finite group and $A$ an abelian group. Recall the cochain groups $$ C^k = \{f: G^k \to A\} $$ and the coboundary map $$ \delta : C^k \to C^{k+1} $$ $$ (\delta f)(g_1, \ldots, ...
Kevin Walker's user avatar
  • 12.8k
16 votes
1 answer
1k views

Cohomology of central extensions of groups

Let G be a central extension of a finite group H by $Z/2$. I need an explicit description of the differentials $d_2$ and $d_3$ in the Lyndon-Hochschild-Serre spectral sequence which converges to the ...
Anton Kapustin's user avatar
15 votes
5 answers
3k views

Tate Cohomology via stable categories

Situation Let $G$ be a finite group and provide $G\text{-mod} := {\mathbb Z}G\text{-mod}$ with the Frobenius structure of ${\mathbb Z}$-split short exact sequences. Denote by $\underline{G\text{-mod}}...
Hanno's user avatar
  • 2,756
15 votes
1 answer
461 views

H_3 of SL(n,Z) and SL(n,F_p)

Can anyone tell me what $H_3(SL_n(\mathbb{Z});\mathbb{Z})$ and $H_3(SL_n(\mathbb{F}_p);\mathbb{Z})$ are? It is easy to find references for $H_1$ and $H_2$, but it turns out that I need $H_3$ as well. ...
Sarah's user avatar
  • 151
14 votes
2 answers
927 views

3-cocycle representatives for the dihedral group $D_{2n}$?

I am looking for a reference for a complete list of 3-cocycle representatives for $H^3(D_{2n},\mathbb{C}^\times)$, where $$ D_{2n}=\langle a, b\mid a^2=b^2=(ab)^n=e\rangle $$ is the dihedral group of ...
Dave Penneys's user avatar
  • 5,425
14 votes
1 answer
699 views

Obstruction to extension of non-abelian groups - finite example?

Let $G$ be a non-abelian group, let $\Pi$ be a group, and let $\eta: \Pi\rightarrow Out(G)$ be a homomorphism, where $Out(G)$ is the group of automorphisms of G modulo the normal subgroup of inner ...
Lukasz Fidkowski's user avatar
14 votes
2 answers
6k views

Group cohomology of the cyclic group

It is well known how to compute cohomology of a finite cyclic group $C_m=\langle \sigma \rangle$, just using the periodic resolution, $\require{AMScd}$ \begin{CD} \cdots @>N>> \mathbb ...
Diana Scott's user avatar
14 votes
0 answers
347 views

What is the mathematical name for the anomaly for an action of a group on a lattice conformal field theory?

Suppose $V$ is a (bosonic) chiral conformal field theory which is "holomorphic" in the sense that its category of vertex modules is trivial. (The definition of "chiral conformal field theory" might be ...
Theo Johnson-Freyd's user avatar
13 votes
2 answers
795 views

Which finite groups have low-degree essential cohomology?

Let $G$ be a finite group, $A$ some coefficients (e.g. $A = \mathbb{F}_2$ or $\mathbb{Z}$), and write $\mathrm{H}^\bullet_{\mathrm{gp}}(G; A)$ for the (ordinary) group cohomology of $G$ with ...
Theo Johnson-Freyd's user avatar
13 votes
2 answers
737 views

Is the following map from Z(G) x H^3(G, C*) --> H^2(G, C*) ever nontrivial?

Suppose that G is a finite group, then we have the following map f which takes an element z in the center of G and a 3-cohomology class w and returns a 2-cohomology class f(z,w) (for concreteness let'...
Noah Snyder's user avatar
  • 28.1k
13 votes
0 answers
586 views

Finite groups inside an infinite group with the same homology

Suppose we have a triple of groups $G,H,K$ satisfying the following conditions: $G$ and $H$ are finite groups and $K$ is an infinite group. there exist two monomorphisms $G \rightarrow K \leftarrow H$...
Ilias A.'s user avatar
  • 1,974
12 votes
4 answers
610 views

The cohomology group $H^{1}(GL_{2}(\mathbb{F}_{p}), M_{2}(\mathbb{F}_{p}))$

Let $M_{2}(\mathbb{F}_{p})$ be the vector space of 2$\times$2 matrices over the finite field $\mathbb{F}_{p}$ where $p$ is a prime number, and let $GL_{2}(\mathbb{F}_{p})$ be the group of invertible 2$...
Rachid's user avatar
  • 121
12 votes
0 answers
2k views

Non split extension isomorphic (as a group) to a split extension

$\def\Z{\mathbb{Z}}$ Let $A$ be a finite abelian group and $G$ a finite group acting on $A$. Then the extension $0 \to A \to E \to G \to 1$ is splits if and only if the corresponding $2$-cocycle is ...
Damien Robert's user avatar
10 votes
0 answers
134 views

Is there a strictly coassociative resolution of polynomial growth, for a finite group?

Let $G$ be a finite group and $k$ a field of characteristic $p$. It is well known, thanks to the work of Quillen, that the trivial $kG$-module $k$ has a projective resolution of polynomial growth. To ...
Dave Benson's user avatar
  • 16.2k
9 votes
2 answers
167 views

Coboundary matrix of bar resolution for group cohomology: do the elementary divisors always divide $|G|$?

Consider the coboundary matrix $C^1(G, \mathbb{Z}) \to C^2(G, \mathbb{Z})$ of the normalized bar resolution of $G$ with coefficients in the trivial $\mathbb{Z}G$-module $\mathbb{Z}$. That is, thinking ...
Joshua Grochow's user avatar
9 votes
1 answer
804 views

Known results in the Cohomology of finite groups

I am learning to compute cohomology of finite groups and came across this survey article http://www.ams.org/notices/199707/adem.pdf "Recent Developments in the cohomology of finite groups" by ...
Chunna's user avatar
  • 529
9 votes
1 answer
308 views

How small can the support of a nontrivial $\mathbb F_p$-cocycle on $C_p$ be?

Let $p$ be a prime, and let $\phi : C_p^n \to \mathbb F_p$ be an $\mathbb F_p$-valued $n$-cocycle on $C_p$ (the cyclic group of order $p$) which is not an $n$-coboundary, i.e. $\phi$ represents a ...
Tim Campion's user avatar
  • 63.9k
9 votes
1 answer
1k views

Cohomology of orthogonal and symplectic groups

Hello, in their book Cohomology of Finite Groups Adem and Milgram investigate the cohomology of the finite orthogonal and symplectic groups only in case $\mathbb{F}_2$. Let $p$ be a prime dividing ...
Tile's user avatar
  • 435
8 votes
3 answers
741 views

Computations in modular cohomology of finite groups

Let $k$ be an algebraically closed field of characteristic $p$, let $G$ be a finite group whose order is divisible by $p$, and let $H(G)$ be the commutative cohomology algebra of $G$ with coefficients ...
Jared's user avatar
  • 768
8 votes
1 answer
522 views

Trivial group cohomology induces trivial cohomology of subgroups

From the answer to another question I asked (Projective representations of a finite abelian group) and from the structure theorem of finite abelian groups it follows that if $A$ is a finite abelian ...
Andrea Antinucci's user avatar
8 votes
0 answers
128 views

What are the stable cohomology classes of the "orthogonal groups" of finite abelian groups?

Let $A$ be a finite abelian group, and equip it with a nondegenerate symmetric bilinear form $\langle,\rangle : A \times A \to \mathrm{U}(1)$. Then you can reasonably talk about the "orthogonal ...
Theo Johnson-Freyd's user avatar
8 votes
0 answers
238 views

Is there a finite group with nontrivial $H^2$ but vanishing $H^4$, $H^5$, and $H^6$?

Is there a finite group $G$ such that the group cohomology $\mathrm{H}^2_{\mathrm{gp}}(G; \mathbb{Z}/2)$ is nontrivial but $\mathrm{H}^4_{\mathrm{gp}}(G; \mathbb{Z}/2)$, $\mathrm{H}^5_{\mathrm{gp}}(G;...
Theo Johnson-Freyd's user avatar
7 votes
2 answers
663 views

Cohomology of $\operatorname{GL}_3(\mathbb{F}_2)$

I’m wondering what is known about the cohomology of $\operatorname{GL}_3(\mathbb{Z}_2)$, the general linear group of $3\times3$ matrices over the finite field $\mathbb{Z}_2$. There are results in ...
Noah B's user avatar
  • 545
7 votes
2 answers
494 views

How does the Steenrod algebra act on $\mathrm{H}^\bullet(p^{1+2}_+, \mathbb{F}_p)$?

Let $p$ be an odd prime. The $\mathbb F_p$ cohomology of the cyclic group of order $p$ is well-known: $\mathrm{H}^\bullet(C_p, \mathbb F_p) = \mathbb F_p[\xi,x]$ where $\xi$ has degree 1, $x$ has ...
Theo Johnson-Freyd's user avatar
7 votes
3 answers
1k views

n-cocycles of finite abelian groups from cohomology group

Question: Given a generic finite abelian group $G=\mathbb{Z}_{N^{(1)}} \times \cdots \times \mathbb{Z}_{N^{(k)}}$. (1) What is the explicit forms of its cohomology group (see my definition) in a ...
wonderich's user avatar
  • 10.5k
7 votes
2 answers
701 views

Common Computations in Group Cohomology

Let G=A⋊B, where A and B are abelian, and of coprime order. It seems, from my computations (and correct me if I'm wrong), that Z1(Cp,Cq) is trivial, for p and q different primes. Meaning that ...
Terry Mahr's user avatar
7 votes
1 answer
376 views

When is an almost simple group a split extension of its socle?

Here an almost simple group is a finite group whose socle (product of all minimal normal subgroups) is a nonabelian simple group. As an extension of its socle, an almost simple group could be split or ...
Binzhou Xia's user avatar
7 votes
1 answer
701 views

Classification of $p$-groups of order $p^n$ with rank $n-1$

Hello, i've been looking for a way to classify the non-trivial $p$-groups $G$ that live in an exact sequence of the form $ 0 \rightarrow \mathbb{Z}/p\mathbb{Z} \rightarrow G \rightarrow (\mathbb{Z}...
Maurizio Monge's user avatar
7 votes
0 answers
224 views

How many values of a group cocycle are required to know its cohomology class?

Suppose I have a finite group $G$, and a group cocycle $\varphi\in Z^n(G,U(1))$ (trivial action on $U(1)$) evaluated at $k$ distinct values of the inputs $g_1,...,g_n$. That is, I am given a set of ...
Yarden Sheffer's user avatar
7 votes
0 answers
245 views

Simplicial model for $\mathcal{L}BG//S^1$ for a finite group $G$

$\require{AMScd}$For $X$ a (nice enough) topological space, the free loop space $\mathcal{L}X$ is the space of continuous maps from $S^1$ to $X$. This space has a natural $S^1$ action given by ...
domenico fiorenza's user avatar
7 votes
0 answers
141 views

Small modules over finite group with large cohomology

Looking at this Example of group cohomology not annihilated by exponent of $G$? I stumbled upon one question I couldn't solve (probably because it's hard), so I post it here. Using Lyndon resolvent, ...
Denis T's user avatar
  • 4,600
7 votes
0 answers
229 views

Computation of $H^2(S_n,\mathbb{Z}/2\mathbb{Z})$

Do you have a nice modern reference where I could find the computation of $H^2(S_n,\mathbb{Z}/2\mathbb{Z})$, where the action is trivial ? I have looked at the very few books on cohomology of groups ...
GreginGre's user avatar
  • 1,766
7 votes
0 answers
171 views

Can a finite group have its third cohomology determined by a quotient group?

Does there exist a finite group $G$ satisfying either of the following? $G$ admits a non-trivial, proper, central subgroup $A$ such that every (normalized) 3-cocycle of $G$ is cohomologous to a (...
zibadawa timmy's user avatar
7 votes
0 answers
190 views

Restriction of $H^3(M_{24}, U(1))$ to $M_{12} \rtimes \mathbb{Z}_2$

$M_{12}\rtimes \mathbb{Z}_2$ is a maximal subgroup of $M_{24}$, where $M_{24}$ and $M_{12}$ are Mathieu groups . Also, it is known that $H^3(M_{24}, U(1)) \cong \mathbb{Z}_{12}$. I want to find the ...
user avatar
6 votes
2 answers
270 views

Group homology for a metacyclic group

Let $G$ be a finite group, and let $M$ be a finitely generated $G$-module, that is, a finitely generated abelian group on which $G$ acts. We work with the first homology group $$ H_1(G,M).$$ For any ...
Mikhail Borovoi's user avatar
6 votes
1 answer
652 views

Why do we say the Fitting subgroup/generalized Fitting subgroup control the structure of a group?

I’m learning the Fitting subgroup these days. I’m interested in this topic and particularly in the role that it plays in the structure of groups. Many people on MSE mentioned that the Fitting subgroup/...
user avatar
6 votes
2 answers
399 views

A finite group that splits and does not split

Is there an example of a finite group $A$ that acts on a finite group $C$ irreducibly (that is, $C$ has no proper nontrivial $A$-invariant subgroup) such that there exists an epimorphism $$\tau \colon ...
Pablo's user avatar
  • 11.3k
6 votes
1 answer
579 views

first group cohomology for the standard representation of $S_n$ over $\mathbb{F}_2$

Let $g \geq 2$ be an integer and consider the symmetric group $S_n$ where $n = 2g+1$ or $n = 2g+2$ as a subgroup of the symplectic group $\mathrm{Sp}_{2g}(\mathbb{F}_2)$ via the standard ...
Jeff Yelton's user avatar
  • 1,298
6 votes
1 answer
980 views

Group (Co)Homology of Symmetric Group

The question concerns the group homology or group cohomology of symmetric groups. The entries in groupprops.subwiki.org and in this MO post show the results for the symmetric group S$_4$. groupprops....
wonderich's user avatar
  • 10.5k
6 votes
1 answer
219 views

Cohomology of finite $p$-groups over integers in local fields

Let $p$ be a prime, $G$ be a finite group of order $p^a$. Let $M$ be a $\mathbb{Z}[G]$-module. Then $H^n(G, M)$ is annihilated by $p^a$ for all $n \geq 1$ (see e.g. Brown, Corollary III.10.2). In ...
frafour's user avatar
  • 435
6 votes
1 answer
1k views

Concrete formula for Shapiro's Lemma

I wonder if there is a concrete formula to express the isomorphism in the well known Shapiro's Lemma that $H^i(G, \text{CoInd}_{H}^{G}(M)) \simeq H^i(H, M)$, where $H \subset G$ is a subgroup of $G$, $...
Shawn Cui's user avatar
  • 121
6 votes
1 answer
312 views

Is group cohomology with the inversion action order two?

Let $\mathbb{Z}^\text{inv}$ denote the $\mathbb{Z}/2$-module defined by the inversion action on $\mathbb{Z}$. Let $G_0$ be a finite group that acts trivially on $\mathbb{Z}^\text{inv}$. Then one can ...
Alex Turzillo's user avatar
6 votes
0 answers
194 views

What is the value of the fourth cohomology class of $\mathrm{Co}_0$ induced by the 24-dimensional representation?

The group $\mathrm{Co}_0$ has a 24-dimensional module. This induces a map $\mathrm H^4(O(24),\mathbb Z) \to \mathrm H^4(\mathrm{Co}_0,\mathbb Z)$. Has this map been computed? Has the right hand side ...
Theo Johnson-Freyd's user avatar
5 votes
2 answers
430 views

Cohomology of the adjoint representation of $\mathrm{SL}_2(k)$

Let $k$ be a finite field. Do we always have $H^1(\operatorname{PSL}_2(k), k^3) = 0$, where $\operatorname{PSL}_2(k)$ acts on $k^3$ via the adjoint representation (= conjugation action on trace zero ...
David Loeffler's user avatar