All Questions
14 questions
4
votes
0
answers
115
views
Complexity to find "short" (e.g. polynomial in diameter) decomposition of the permutation into the product of generators?
Question 1: Consider the symmetric group $S_n$ and some set of permutations $p_i$. Given permutation $g$ - what is known about the algorithmic complexity to decompose $g$ into product of $p_i$ ...
4
votes
1
answer
251
views
Diameter of the "Masterball-puzzle" permutation groups by a kind of Cartier-Foata enumeration?
There is an wonderful blog post by Jordan S. Ellenberg SHOULD YOU BE SURPRISED BY THE DIAMETER OF THE NXNXN RUBIK’S GROUP?. Which explains how one can come to $N^2log(N)$ estimate of the diameter of ...
12
votes
1
answer
450
views
abelian quotients of permutation groups
Let $G$ be a subgroup of the permutation group $S_n$, and let $H$ be a normal subgroup of $G$ such that the quotient group $G/H$ is abelian. What is the best known upper estimate for the cardinality $...
7
votes
1
answer
582
views
Wreath product $S_k\wr S_n$ inside $S_{kn}$
I want to understand wreath products a little better.
Currently, my intuition about them is as follows. Take $nk$ disks, pile them in order forming $n$ piles of $k$ disks (one pile contains disks {1,...
31
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Does the symmetric group $S_{10}$ factor as a knit product of symmetric subgroups $S_6$ and $S_7$?
By knit product (alias: Zappa-Szép product), I mean a product $AB$ of subgroups for which $A\cap B=1$. In particular, note that neither subgroup is required to be normal, thus making this a ...
10
votes
0
answers
194
views
Permutation groups with diameter $O(n \log n)$
I suspect that many permutation puzzles can be solved in $O(n \log n)$ moves, which has led me to the following question/conjecture:
Suppose that
1. $P_i$ for $i<k=O(1)$ are permutations on an $n$ ...
1
vote
0
answers
242
views
Counting elements having a given cycle structure in maximal subgroups of a generalized symmetric group
Let $G$ be the wreath product $C_7\wr S_{18}$, where $C_7$ is the cyclic group of order 7 and $S_{18}$ is the symmetric group on 18 symbols. Consider $G$ to be embedded in the group $S_{126}=S_{7\cdot ...
16
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Tensor power of the natural representation of Sn
The symmetric group $S_n$ acts over $V=\mathbb{R}^n$ by permuting the canonical basis.
So it acts over $V^{\otimes p}$ with a diagonal action (acts the same over each element of the tensor product).
...
8
votes
2
answers
617
views
sum-sets in a finite field
Let $\mathbb{F}_p$ be a finite field, $A=\{a_1,\dots,a_k\}\subset\mathbb{F}_p^*$ a $k$-element set, for $k<p$. $\mathfrak{S}_k=$permutation gp.
Question. Is it true there is always a $\pi\in\...
2
votes
1
answer
137
views
Intransitive finite irreducible linear groups whose orbits are all large
I am interested in intransitive irreducible linear subgroups $G\subseteq\mathrm{GL}_n(\mathbb{F}_p)$ acting on $V-\{0\}=\mathbb{F}_p^n-\{0\}$ in the natural way, such that all of the orbits are very ...
12
votes
1
answer
682
views
A sum over characters of the symmetric group
Let $C_\mu$ be the size of the conjugacy class in $S_n$ of permutations whose cycletype is the partition $\mu\vdash n$. Let $\chi$ be the characters of the irreducible representations of $S_n$.
Let $\...
7
votes
1
answer
146
views
Covering a set with images of a transversal
Let $G$ be a permutation group on a finite set $\Omega$ with orbits $\Omega_1,\ldots,\Omega_k$.
By a transversal we mean a set $\lbrace\omega_1,\ldots,\omega_k\rbrace$ with $\omega_j\in\Omega_j$ for ...
8
votes
2
answers
586
views
How hard is it to compute the diameter and the growth function of a finite permutation group of small degree?
Let $G \leq {\rm S}_n$ be a finite permutation group, and let
$S = \{g_1, \dots, g_k\}$ be a generating set for $G$ which is closed
under inversion and which does not contain the identity.
The growth ...
32
votes
3
answers
3k
views
Order of products of elements in symmetric groups
Let $n \in \mathbb{N}$. Is it true that for any $a, b, c \in \mathbb{N}$ satisfying
$1 < a, b, c \leq n-2$ the symmetric group ${\rm S}_n$ has elements of order $a$ and $b$
whose product has order $...