All Questions
2,166 questions with no upvoted or accepted answers
52
votes
0
answers
1k
views
Class function counting solutions of equation in finite group: when is it a virtual character?
Let $w=w(x_1,\dots,x_n)$ be a word in a free group of rank $n$. Let $G$ be a finite group. Then we may define a class function $f=f_w$ of $G$ by
$$ f_w(g) = |\{ (x_1,\dots, x_n)\in G^n\mid w(x_1,\dots,...
- 6,919
43
votes
0
answers
2k
views
Why are there so few quaternionic representations of simple groups?
Having spent many hours looking through the Atlas of Finite Simple Groups while in Grad school, I recall being rather intrigued by the fact that among the sporadic groups, only one (McLaughlin as I ...
- 5,191
38
votes
0
answers
1k
views
Groups whose complex irreducible representations are finite dimensional
By a complex irreducible representation of a group $G$, I mean a simple $\mathbb CG$-module. So my representations need not be unitary and we are working in the purely algebraic setting.
It is easy ...
- 38.6k
38
votes
0
answers
5k
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Homology of $\mathrm{PGL}_2(F)$
Update: As mentioned below, the answer to the original question is a strong No. However, the case of $\pi_4$ remains, and actually I think that this one would follow from Suslin's conjecture on ...
- 21.3k
37
votes
0
answers
1k
views
Is this generalized character always a character?
Let $G$ be a finite group, and $p$ be a prime. Then there is a generalized character $\Psi$ of $G$ which takes value $0$ on all elements of order divisible by $p$, and has $\Psi(y)$ equal to the ...
- 44.4k
36
votes
0
answers
967
views
Are there infinite versions of sporadic groups?
The classification of finite simple groups states roughly that every non-abelian finite simple group is either alternating, a group of Lie type, or a sporadic group.
For each of the groups of Lie ...
- 606
33
votes
0
answers
2k
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Next steps on formal proof of classification of finite simple groups
While people are steaming ahead on finessing the proof of the classification of finite simple groups (CFSG), we have a formal proof in Coq of one of the first major components: the Feit-Thompson odd-...
- 35.5k
32
votes
0
answers
993
views
Is there a Mathieu groupoid M_31?
I have read something which said that the large amount of common structure between the simple groups $SL(3,3)$ and $M_{11}$ indicated to Conway the possibility that the Mathieu groupoid $M_{13}$ might ...
- 3,645
30
votes
0
answers
721
views
Do two integral matrices generate a free group?
Is it decidable whether two given elements of ${\rm GL}(n,{\mathbb Z})$ generate a free group of rank 2?
This is a simple question that I have been asking people for the past couple of years, but ...
- 37.4k
30
votes
0
answers
747
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Cohomology of symmetric groups and the integers mod 12
When $n \ge 4$, the third homology group $H_3(S_n,\mathbb{Z})$ of the symmetric group $S_n$ contains $\mathbb{Z}_{12}$ as a summand. Using the universal coefficient theorem we get $\mathbb{Z}_{12}$ ...
- 22.3k
30
votes
0
answers
1k
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Follow-up to Steinberg's problem (12) in his 1966 ICM talk?
Steinberg's lecture at the 1966 ICM in Moscow here surveyed his work on regular elements of semisimple algebraic groups, while also formulating a number of then-open questions as "problems" (...
- 52.9k
29
votes
0
answers
876
views
The field of fractions of the rational group algebra of a torsion free abelian group
Let $G$ be a torsion free abelian group (infinitely generated to get anything interesting). The group algebra $\mathbb{Q}[G]$ is an integral domain. Let $\mathbb{Q}(G)$ be its field of fractions.
...
- 35.2k
29
votes
0
answers
990
views
Non-linear expanders?
Recall that a family of graphs (indexed by an infinite set, such as the primes, say) is called an expander family if there is a $\delta>0$ such that, on every graph in the family, the discrete ...
- 20.2k
28
votes
0
answers
676
views
Mathieu group $M_{23}$ as an algebraic group via additive polynomials
An elegant description of the Mathieu group $M_{23}$ is the following: Let $C$ be the multiplicative subgroup of order $23$ in the field $F=\mathbb F_{2^{11}}$ with $2^{11}$ elements. Then $M_{23}$ is ...
- 22.5k
27
votes
0
answers
940
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A question on simultaneous conjugation of permutations
Given $a,b\in S_n$ such that their commutator has at least $n-4$ fixed points, is there an element $z\in S_n$ such that $a^z=a^{-1}$, and $b^z=b^{-1}$? Here $a^z:=z^{-1}az$.
Magma says that the ...
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26
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0
answers
1k
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Is every $p$-group the $\mathbb{F}_p$-points of a unipotent group
Let $\Gamma$ be a finite group of order $p^n$. Is there necessarily a unipotent algebraic group $G$ of dimension $n$, defined over $\mathbb{F}_p$, with $\Gamma \cong G(\mathbb{F}_p)$?
I have no real ...
- 156k
24
votes
0
answers
751
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Are amenable groups topologizable?
I've learned about the notion of topologizability from "On topologizable and non-topologizable groups" by Klyachko, Olshanskii and Osin (http://arxiv.org/abs/1210.7895) - a discrete group $G$ is ...
- 3,897
23
votes
0
answers
1k
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Do all possible trees arise as orbit trees of some permutation groups?
I.Motivation from descriptive set theory
(Contains some quotes from Maciej Malicki's paper.)
The classical theorem of Birkhoff-Kakutani implies that every metrizable topological group G admits a ...
- 181
22
votes
0
answers
584
views
The multiplication game on the free group
Fix $W\subseteq\mathbb F_2$ and consider the following two-person game: Player 1 and Player 2 simultaneously choose $x$ and $y$ in $\mathbb F_2$. The first player wins, say one dollar, iff $xy\in W$. ...
- 6,034
22
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Numbers of distinct products obtained by permuting the factors
Let $n \in \mathbb{N}$. Is it true that for every $k \in \{1, \dots, n!\}$ there are
some group $G$ and pairwise distinct elements $g_1, \dots, g_n \in G$ such that the set
$\{g_{\sigma(1)} \cdot \ \...
- 19.6k
21
votes
0
answers
473
views
Are braid groups known to not be linear over $\mathbb{Z}$?
$\DeclareMathOperator\GL{GL}$It is known that every braid group $B_n$ embeds as a subgroup of $\GL_m(\mathbb{Z}[q^{\pm 1},t^{\pm 1}])$, where $m=n(n-1)/2$ (see Krammer - Braid groups are linear). This ...
- 3,740
21
votes
0
answers
473
views
Is there a "direct" proof of the Galois symmetry on centre of group algebra?
Let $G$ be a finite group, and $n$ an integer coprime to $|G|$. Then we have the following map, which is clearly not a morphism of groups in general: $$g\mapsto g^n.$$
This induces a linear ...
- 1,949
21
votes
0
answers
904
views
In what sense is the braid group $B_3$ the universal central extension of the modular group $\Gamma$?
First let's recall some definitions. Let $G$ be a perfect group, so that
$$H^2(G, A) \cong \text{Hom}(H_2(G), A)$$
for all abelian groups $A$ by universal coefficients. This means that when $A = ...
- 118k
21
votes
0
answers
578
views
Density of first-order definable sets in a directed union of finite groups
This is a generalization of the following question by John Wiltshire-Gordon.
Consider an inductive family of finite groups:
$$
G_0 \hookrightarrow G_1 \hookrightarrow \ldots \hookrightarrow G_i \...
- 2,210
20
votes
0
answers
451
views
Row of the character table of symmetric group with most negative entries
The row of the character table of $S_n$ corresponding to the trivial representation has all entries positive, and by orthogonality clearly it is the only one like this.
Is it true that for $n\gg 0$, ...
- 24.2k
20
votes
0
answers
625
views
Infinitely generated non-free group with all proper subgroups free
Is there any example of group $G$ satisfying the following properties?
$G$ is non-abelian, infinitely generated (i.e. it is not finitely generated) and not a free group.
$H< G$ implies that $H$ is ...
- 599
20
votes
0
answers
1k
views
Could unramified Galois groups satisfy a version of property tau?
This is an experiment: there is a question I want to mention in an article I'm writing, and I am not sure it's a sensible question, so I will ask it here first, in the hopes that if it's insensible ...
- 19.2k
20
votes
0
answers
724
views
Characteristic subgroups and direct powers
Solved question: Suppose H is a characteristic subgroup of a group G. Is it then necessary that, for every natural number n, in the group $G^n$ (the external direct product of $G$ with itself $n$ ...
- 7,320
19
votes
0
answers
478
views
On C*-rigidity problem for torsion-free groups
I'd like to address the $\mathrm{C}^\ast$-rigidity problem for
torsion-free groups (see
this paper),
which asks for non-isomorphic torsion-free groups with isomorphic
(reduced) group $\mathrm{C}^\ast$-...
- 10.1k
19
votes
0
answers
377
views
Is there a classification of reflection groups over division rings?
I asked a version of this question in Math StackExchange about a week ago but I've received no feedback so far, so following the advice I received on meta I decided to post it here.
Details
The ...
- 1,206
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 \...
user6671
19
votes
0
answers
546
views
What is the centralizer of a Coxeter element?
Let $(W,S)$ be a Coxeter system (of finite rank) and $c \in W$ a Coxeter element.
If $W$ is finite, then the centralizer $C_W(c)$ is the cyclic group generated by $c$ (e.g. see the book "Reflection ...
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18
votes
0
answers
1k
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What is the strongest nerve lemma?
The most basic nerve lemma can be found as Corollary 4G.3 in Hatcher's Algebraic Topology:
If $\mathcal U$ is an open cover of a paracompact space $X$ such that every nonempty intersection of ...
- 81
18
votes
0
answers
2k
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$G$ a group, with $p$ a prime number, and $|G|=2^p-1$, is it abelian?
During my research I came across this question, I proposed it in the chat, but nobody could find a counterexample, so I allow myself to ask you :
$G$ a group, with $p$ a prime number, and $|G|=2^p-1$, ...
- 4,074
18
votes
0
answers
1k
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Definition of Pin groups?
When looking into the definition of a Pin group, it turns out that there are - at least - three different ones in the literature, and they do not agree --- but thankfully all yield the same Spin ...
- 339
18
votes
0
answers
734
views
How boundedly generated is $SL_3(\mathbb{Z})$?
The group $G = \mathrm{SL}_3(\mathbb{Z})$ is known to be boundedly generated, that is, there exists some $m \in \mathbb{N}$, and $g_1, \dots, g_m \in G$ such that we have the following equality of ...
- 11.3k
18
votes
0
answers
477
views
Linear groups which don't contain products of free groups
Let $G \subset GL(n, \Bbb Z)$ be a f.g. linear group. The Tits alternative says that $G$ is either virtually solvable (i.e. has a solvable subgroup of finite index), or contains a free group $F_2$. ...
- 17k
18
votes
0
answers
524
views
Applications of the surjectivity of Brauer's decomposition map over arbitrary fields?
Recently I've been going over some of Serre's reformulation of Brauer theory with a student, following the influential treatment in Part III of Serre's lectures (revised 1971 French edition) later ...
- 52.9k
18
votes
0
answers
827
views
Quotients of residually finite groups by amenable normal subgroups
My questions are:
Is there any group, which cannot be written as the quotient of a residually finite group by an amenable normal subgroup? Is it possible for large classes of groups?
and
Is ...
- 25.5k
17
votes
0
answers
692
views
Monstrous Langlands-McKay or what is bijection between conjugacy classes and irreducible representation for sporadic simple groups?
Context: The number of conjugacy classes equals to the number of irreducuble representations (over C) for any finite group. Moreover for the symmetric group and some other groups there is "good ...
- 24.9k
17
votes
0
answers
536
views
Question about combinatorics on words
Let $\{a_1,a_2,...,a_n\}$ be an alphabet and let $\{u_1,...,u_n\}$ be words in this alphabet, and $a_i\mapsto u_i$ be a substitution $\phi$.
Question: Is there an algorithm to check if for some $m,k$...
user6976
17
votes
0
answers
824
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What's the big deal about $M_{13}$?
$M_{13}$ is the Mathieu groupoid defined by Conway in
Conway, J. H. $M_{13}$. Surveys in combinatorics, 1997 (London), 1–11,
London Math. Soc. Lecture Note Ser., 241, Cambridge Univ. Press, ...
- 11.2k
17
votes
0
answers
513
views
Maximum automorphism group for a 3-connected cubic graph
The following arose as a side issue in a project on graph reconstruction.
Problem: Let $a(n)$ be the greatest order of the automorphism group of a 3-connected cubic graph with $n$ vertices. Find a ...
- 37.7k
17
votes
0
answers
449
views
Splay trees and Thompson's group $F$
( I apologize for only indicating some easy to find references, but new users are not allowed to link more than five). This is very speculative, but:
Question: Is there a reformulation of the Dynamic ...
- 992
17
votes
0
answers
969
views
Groups generated by 3 involutions
Let $r(m)$ denote the residue class $r+m\mathbb{Z}$, where $0 \leq r < m$.
Given disjoint residue classes $r_1(m_1)$ and $r_2(m_2)$, let the class transposition
$\tau_{r_1(m_1),r_2(m_2)}$ be the ...
- 19.6k
16
votes
0
answers
734
views
What is the current status of the question of whether or not the mapping class group has Kazhdan's Property (T)?
$\DeclareMathOperator\Mod{Mod}$Let $\Mod(S)$ be the mapping class group of a closed oriented surface $S$ of genus at least $3$. My question is easy to state: is it currently known whether or not $\...
- 161
16
votes
0
answers
631
views
The Octahedral Axiom in group theory
$\require{AMScd}$Here are two results about groups:
(The third isomorphism theorem) Suppose that I have $A \triangleleft B \triangleleft C$ and $A \triangleleft C$. Then $C/B \cong (C/A)/(B/A)$. ...
- 156k
16
votes
0
answers
952
views
Continuous cohomology of a profinite group is not a delta functor
Let $G$ be a profinite group, then there is a general notion of continuous cohomology groups $H^n_{\text{cont}}(G, M)$ for any topological $G$-module $M$ (I require topological $G$-modules to be ...
- 2,923
16
votes
0
answers
345
views
What property do small primes have that prevent the existence of a Tarski monster?
For an odd prime $p$, a Tarski monster group is an infinite group $G$ such that every proper, non-trivial subgroup $H < G$ is a cyclic group of order $p$. It is known that for every prime $p > ...
- 26.9k
16
votes
0
answers
382
views
Representation categories and homology
Let $G$ be a finite group.
Let $\mathcal{C}=Rep-G$ be the rigid $\mathbb{C}$-linear symmetric monoidal category of finite dimensional complex representations of $G$.
Can we recover some homological ...
- 5,039