All Questions
Tagged with finite-groups pr.probability
19 questions
21
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Generating random finite groups
I would like a method to efficiently generate a random finite group of a given order $n$.
If there are $g(n)$ non-isomorphic groups of order $n$,
ideally each group would occur with probability $1/g(n)...
- 4,713
2
votes
0
answers
167
views
How to choose N policemen positions to catch a drunk driver in the most effective way (on a Cayley graph of a finite group)?
Consider a Cayley graph of some big finite group. Consider random walk on such a graph - think of it as drunk driver. Fix some number $N$ which is much smaller than group size.
Question 1: How to ...
CommunityBot
- 1
7
votes
0
answers
233
views
Growth of spheres in FINITE nilpotent groups - Gaussian approximation (central limit theorem)?
Standard setup. Consider a group and choose generators. Word-metric (or in the other words - distance on the Cayley graph of the group+generators) - converts a group into a metric space, which is ...
- 24.9k
2
votes
0
answers
71
views
Distance distribution for Cayley graphs of the fintie Heisenberg groups H3(Z/nZ) approaches Gaussian for large "n"?
I wonder several questions about Cayley graphs of finite Heisenberg groups H3(Z/nZ).
Question 1: do we know the diameter dependence on "n", at least for the standard choice of generators ? ...
- 24.9k
2
votes
1
answer
266
views
Upper bound lemma implies the ergodic theorem for random walks on groups?
Cross-Posted from Math Stackexchange.
Ergodic theorem. A random walk on a finite group $G$ driven by a probability $\nu\in M_p(G)$ is ergodic if $\operatorname{supp}(\nu)$ is not concentrated
on a ...
- 63.9k
1
vote
0
answers
311
views
Show that $\mathrm{SL}_2(\mathbb{F}_p)$ is quasi-random
Terry Tao gives this oblique definition of quasirandom group in his notes 3
$G$ is quasi-random (of order $D$) if all non-trivial unitary representations $\rho: G \to U(H)$ have dimension at least $...
- 63.9k
1
vote
0
answers
489
views
Can we generalize the concept of "characters" in group theory via methods from statistics and probability theory?
$\DeclareMathOperator\Cov{Cov}$Motivation: If $G$ is a finite group and $\phi=X+iY: G\to \mathbb{T}$ is a character of $G$, then $\Cov(X,Y)=0$ where $X$, $Y$ are considered as two real random ...
- 356
0
votes
1
answer
153
views
Probability distribution of random products of elements of a generating set of a finite non-abelian group
Let $G$ be a finite non-abelian group, and consider a choice of $N$ distinct elements $g_{0},g_{1},\ldots,g_{N-1}\in G$ that generate $G$. Now, let $t$ be an arbitrary positive integer, and let $d_{1},...
- 17k
66
votes
1
answer
7k
views
Why can't a nonabelian group be 75% abelian?
This question asks for intuition, not a proof.
An earlier question,
Measures of non-abelian-ness
was thoroughly answered by Arturo Magidin.
A paper by Gustafson1
proves that, for a nonabelian group,
...
- 47.1k
12
votes
2
answers
406
views
Does asymmetric fraction of finite groups tend to $0$?
Let’s define asymmetric fraction of a finite group $G$ as the number $$\mathrm{af}(G) = \frac{|\{(g, a) \in G \times \mathrm{Aut}(G)\mid a(g) = g\}|}{|G|\cdot|\mathrm{Aut}(G)|}.$$ Equivalently it can ...
- 44.4k
4
votes
0
answers
266
views
Metrics on finite groups and generalizations of central limit theorems for balls volumes (à la Diaconis-Graham)
In wonderful lectures by P. Diaconis "Group representations in probability and statistics, Chapter 6. Metrics on Groups, and Their Statistical Use" metrics on permutation groups are considered and ...
- 63.9k
7
votes
1
answer
548
views
The probability that two elements of a finite nonabelian simple group commute
It is mentioned in here (last paragraph of the first page) that Dixon proved the following result: the probability that two elements of a finite nonabelian simple group commute is at most $\frac{1}{12}...
- 63.9k
13
votes
1
answer
791
views
How nearly abelian are nilpotent groups?
It is not uncommon to read that "nilpotent groups are 'close to abelian'."1,2
Can this sentiment be made precise
in the sense of the
Turán and Erdős definition of "the probability that two elements of ...
- 44.4k
2
votes
0
answers
78
views
Width of symmetric groups
MSE crosspost
For any (finite) group $G$ its length $l(G)$ is the length of maximal chain of proper subgroups (it's known and pretty widely used invariant). But we can also define width function $w_G(...
- 4,600
2
votes
0
answers
202
views
Random walk on a finite group, converging modulo a function
Let $G$ be a finite group, and let $Q$ be a probability measure on $G$. Suppose that $Q$, as a function on $G$, is supported on a conjugacy class $C$. We denote by $Q^{*k}$ the $k$-fold convolution of ...
- 63.9k
41
votes
6
answers
4k
views
Measures of non-abelian-ness
Let $G$ be a finite non-abelian group of $n$ elements.
I would like a measure that intuitively captures the
extent to which $G$ is non-commutative.
One easy measure is a count of the non-commutative ...
- 151k
0
votes
1
answer
258
views
Are such averages known with representations of $S_n$?
Like is there a sense in which one can quantify that for two group elements (in different conjugacy classes) their characters are "close" for some fixed irreducible representation? (feel free to stick ...
- 6,357
21
votes
0
answers
578
views
Density of first-order definable sets in a directed union of finite groups
This is a generalization of the following question by John Wiltshire-Gordon.
Consider an inductive family of finite groups:
$$
G_0 \hookrightarrow G_1 \hookrightarrow \ldots \hookrightarrow G_i \...
CommunityBot
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23
votes
3
answers
1k
views
In an inductive family of groups, does the probability that a particular word is satisfied converge?
We have some group word $w$ in $k$ letters. We say a $k$-tuple of group elements $\vec{g} = (g_1, g_2, \ldots , g_k) \in G^k$ satisfies the word $w$ if $w$ gives the identity at $\vec{g}$. More ...
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