A reduction theorem for primitive binary permutation groups

This is the first in a series of papers whose results imply the validity of a strengthened version of the Sims conjecture on finite primitive permutation groups from the authors’ article “Stabilizers of graph’s vertices and a strengthened version of the Sims conjecture”, Dokl. Math. 59 (1), 113–115 (1999). In this paper, the case of not almost simple primitive groups and the case of primitive groups with alternating socle are considered.

A permutation group G ≤ Sym(X) on a finite set X is sharp if |G|=∏ l∈L(G)(|X| − l), where L(G) = {|fix(g)| | 1 ≠ g ∈ G}. We show that no finite primitive permutation groups of twisted wreath type are sharp.

Primitive permutation IBIS groups

In (1) we considered finite primitive permutation groups G with regular abelian subgroups H satisfying the following hypothesis:(*) H = A × B × C, where A is cyclic of prime power order pα ≠ 4, B has exponent pβ < pα, and C has order prime to p.We remark that an abelian group fails to satisfy (*) (apart from the minor exception associated with the prime 2) if and only if it is the direct product of two subgroups of the same exponent.We showed in (1) that such a group G is doubly transitive unless it is the direct product of two or more subgroups each of the same order greater than 2. This was done by showing that (in the terminology of (3)) the existence of a non-trivial primitive Schur ring over H implies such a direct decomposition of H.

Generation and random generation: From simple groups to maximal subgroups

This thesis records an attempt to prove the two conjecture: Conjecture A: Every finite non-regular primitive permutation group of degree n contains permutations fixing one point but fixing at most $n^{1/2}$ points. Conjecture C: Every finite irreducible linear group of degree m > 1 contains an element whose fixed-point space has dimension at most m/2. Variants of these conjectures are formulated, and C is reduced to a special case of A. The main results of the investigation are: Theorem 2: Every finite non-regular primitive permutation group of degree n contains permutations which fix one point but fix fewer than (n+3)/4 points. Theorem 3: Every finite non-regular primitive soluble permutation group of degree n contains permutations which fix one point but fix fewer than $n^{7/18}$ points. Theorem 4: If H is a finite group, F is a field whose characteristic is 0 or does not divide the order of H, and M is a non-trivial irreducible H-module of dimension m over F, then there is an element h in H whose fixed-point space in M has dimension less than m/2. Theorem 5: If H is a finite soluble group, F is any field, and M is a non-trivial irreducible H-module of dimension m over F, then there is an element h in H whose fixed-point space in M has dimension less than 7m/18. Proofs of these assertions are to be found in Chapter II; examples which show the limitations on possible strenghtenings of the conjectures and results are marshalled in Chapter III. A detailed formulation of the problems and results is contained in section 1.

Primitive permutation groups with a solvable 2-transitive subconstituent

This paper surveys some results in the area of maximal subgroups of the finite simple groups and their automorphism groups. The first two sections are concerned with maximal subgroups of the alternating and symmetric groups. We outline the Reduction Theorem and discuss the maximality of primitive groups in the corresponding symmetric groups. In the third section we consider the corresponding questions for the classical groups. The next section contains a brief survey of knowledge of the maximal subgroups of the other almost simple groups. Finally, the last section outlines some recent work on primitive permutation groups of special degrees.

We give a new characterization of primitive permutation groups tied to the notion of completely reachable automata. Also, we introduce sync-maximal permutation groups tied to the state complexity of the set of synchronizing words of certain associated automata and show that they are contained between the 2-homogeneous and the primitive groups. Lastly, we define k-reachable groups in analogy with synchronizing groups and motivated by our characterization of primitive permutation groups. But the results show that a k-reachable permutation group of degree n with \(6 \le k \le n - 6\) is either the alternating or the symmetric group.

J.M. Howie, the influential St Andrews semigroupist, claimed that we value an area of pure mathematics to the extent that (a) it gives rise to arguments that are deep and elegant, and (b) it has interesting interconnections with other parts of pure mathematics. This paper surveys some recent results on the transformation semigroup generated by a permutation group $G$ and a single non-permutation $a$. Our particular concern is the influence that properties of $G$ (related to homogeneity, transitivity and primitivity) have on the structure of the semigroup. In the first part of the paper, we consider properties of $S= $ such as regularity and idempotent generation. The second is a brief report on the synchronization project, which aims to decide in what circumstances $S$ contains an element of rank 1. The paper closes with a list of open problems on permutation groups and linear groups, and some comments about the impact on semigroups are provided. These two research directions outlined above lead to very interesting and challenging problems on primitive permutation groups whose solutions require combining results from several different areas of mathematics, certainly fulfilling both of Howie's elegance and value tests in a new and fascinating way.

Let G be a transitive permutation group on a set Ω such that, for ω∈Ω, the stabiliser Gω induces on each of its orbits in Ω∖{ω} a primitive permutation group (possibly of degree 1). Let N be the normal closure of Gω in G. Then (Theorem 1) either N factorises as N=GωGδ for some ω, δ∈Ω, or all unfaithful Gω-orbits, if any exist, are infinite. This result generalises a theorem of I. M. Isaacs which deals with the case where there is a finite upper bound on the lengths of the Gω-orbits. Several further results are proved about the structure of G as a permutation group, focussing in particular on the nature of certain G-invariant partitions of Ω. 1991 Mathematics Subject Classification 20B07, 20B05.

On the tensor product of permutation modules

We prove two theorems in the ergodic theory of infinite permutation groups. First, generalizing a theorem of Nessonov for the infinite symmetric group, we show that every non-singular action of a non-archimedean, Roelcke precompact, Polish group on a measure space $(\Omega , \mu )$ admits an invariant $\sigma $-finite measure equivalent to $\mu $. Second, we prove the following de Finetti-type theorem: if $G \curvearrowright M$ is a primitive permutation group with no algebraicity verifying an additional uniformity assumption, which is automatically satisfied if $G$ is Roelcke precompact, then any $G$-invariant, ergodic probability measure on $Z^{M}$, where $Z$ is a Polish space, is a product measure.

We study the minimal non-trivial subdegrees of finite primitive permutation groups that admit an embedding into a wreath product in product action, giving a connection with the same quantity for the primitive component. We discover that the primitive groups of twisted wreath type exhibit different (but interesting) behaviour from the other primitive types. 2000 Mathematics Subject Classification: 20B15

On the orders of primitive groups