Profinite and Asymptotic Group Theory

Let G be any group. We write a n (G) for the number of subgroups of G of index n. If G is a profinite group, we consider only open subgroups. 1 If G is finitely generated, either as an abstract or as a profinite group, then a n (G) is finite. The study of the series a n (G), a subject that is known as subgroup growth,was begun by Hurwitz in the 19th century, with geometric motivation, and has become an active area of research in recent years. Let us mention, e.g., that a pro-p Groups G is p-adic analytic if and only if its subgroup growth is polynomial, i.e., there exist constants C and s such that a n (G) ≤ Cns for all n (see Section4 below and [2]). This characterisation of p-adic analytic groups was an instrumental stage in the characterisation of all groups of polynomial subgroup growth (known for short as PSG groups). Other applications of subgroup growth are found in [12] and [4].

A profinite group is called strongly complete if every subgroup of finite index is open and of type (AF) if it has only finitely many subgroups of any fixed index. In this paper it is shown that a topologically finitely generated abelian by pro-nilpotent profinite group is strongly complete, and that a pro-solvable profinite group is strongly complete if is of type (AF).

Variants of some of the Brauer-Fowler theorems

The fastest normal subgroup growth type of a finitely generated group is n log ⁡ n {n^{\log n}} . Very little is known about groups with this type of growth. In particular, the following is a long standing problem: Let Γ be a group and Δ a subgroup of finite index. Suppose Δ has normal subgroup growth of type n log ⁡ n {n^{\log n}} . Does Γ have normal subgroup growth of type n log ⁡ n {n^{\log n}} ? We give a positive answer in some cases, generalizing a result of Müller and the second author and a result of Gerdau. For instance, suppose G is a profinite group and H an open subgroup of G. We show that if H is a generalized Golod–Shafarevich group, then G has normal subgroup growth of type n log ⁡ n {n^{\log n}} . We also use our methods to show that one can find a group with characteristic subgroup growth of type n log ⁡ n {n^{\log n}} .

We consider profinite groups in which all commutators are contained in a union of finitely many procyclic subgroups. It is shown that if G is a profinite group in which all commutators are covered by m procyclic subgroups, then G possesses a finite characteristic subgroup M contained in G′ such that the order of M is m-bounded and G′/M is procyclic. If G is a pro-p group such that all commutators in G are covered by m procyclic subgroups, then G′ is either finite of m-bounded order or procyclic.

We now apply the cohomology theory of the previous chapter to the study of the Brauer group. However, we shall have to use a slightly modified construction which takes into account the fact that the absolute Galois group of a field is determined by its finite quotients. This is the cohomology theory of profinite groups, which we develop first. As a fruit of our labours, we identify the Brauer group of a field with a second, this time commutative, cohomology group of the absolute Galois group. As applications, we obtain easy proofs of some basic facts concerning the Brauer group, and give an important characterization of the index of a central simple algebra. Last but not least, one of the main objects of study in this book makes its appearance: the Galois symbol. The cohomology theory of profinite groups was introduced in the late 1950s by John Tate, motivated by sheaf-theoretic considerations of Alexander Grothendieck. His original aim was to find the appropriate formalism for developing class field theory. Tate himself never published his work, which thus became accessible to the larger mathematical community through the famous account of Serre [4], which also contains many original contributions. It was Brauer himself who described the Brauer group as a second cohomology group, using his language of factor systems. We owe to Serre the insight that descent theory can be used to give a more conceptual proof. The Galois symbol was defined by Tate in connection with the algebraic theory of power residue symbols, a topic extensively studied in the 1960s by Bass, Milnor, Moore, Serre and others. Profinite groups and Galois groups It can be no surprise that the main application of the cohomological techniques of the previous chapter will be in the case when G is the Galois group of a finite Galois extension. However, it will be convenient to consider the case of infinite Galois extensions as well, and first and foremost that of the extension k s |k , where k s is a separable closure of k .

The notion of an equation over a profinite group is defined, as well as the concepts of an algebraic set and of a coordinate group. We show how to represent the coordinate group as a projective limit of coordinate groups of finite groups. It is proved that if the set π(G) of prime divisors of the profinite period of a group G is infinite, then such a group is not Noetherian, even with respect to one-variable equations. For the case of Abelian groups, the finiteness of a set π(G) gives rise to equational Noetherianness. The concept of a standard linear pro-p-group is introduced, and we prove that such is always equationally Noetherian. As a consequence, it is stated that free nilpotent pro-p-groups and free metabelian pro-p-groups are equationally Noetherian. In addition, two examples of equationally non-Noetherian pro-p-groups are constructed. The concepts of a universal formula and of a universal theory over a profinite group are defined. For equationally Noetherian profinite groups, coordinate groups of irreducible algebraic sets are described using the language of universal theories and the notion of discriminability.

Strongly generating elements in finite and profinite groups

Let K be a non-archimedean local field and U a compact subgroup of GLn(K). Such U is a profinite group, actually it is virtually pro-p. If char(K) = 0, then U is finitely generated and even finitely presented as a profinite group. On the other hand if char(K) = p > 0, then U need not be finitely generated. Moreover, even if U is finitely generated, it may be non-finitely presented (see(1.3)). On the other hand;

An asymmetric coloring of a graph is a coloring of its vertices that is not preserved by any non-identity automorphism of the graph. The motion of a graph is the minimal degree of its automorphism group, i.e., the minimum number of elements that are moved (not fixed) by any non-identity automorphism. We confirm Tom Tucker's “Infinite Motion Conjecture” that connected locally finite graphs with infinite motion admit an asymmetric 2-coloring. We infer this from the more general result that the inverse limit of an infinite sequence of finite permutation groups with disjoint domains, viewed as a permutation group on the union of those domains, admits an asymmetric 2-coloring. The proof is based on the study of the interaction between epimorphisms of finite permutation groups and the structure of the setwise stabilizers of subsets of their domains. We note connections of the subject to computational group theory, asymptotic group theory, highly regular structures, and the Graph Isomorphism problem, and list a number of open problems.

In this survey, we discuss some basic problems in representation theory of finite groups, including some long-standing conjectures of Alperin, Brauer, and others. A possible approach to some of these problems is to use the classification of finite simple groups to reduce the problem in consideration to some, more specific, questions about simple groups. We will describe recent progress on reduction theorems in this direction. We will also outline applications of these results to various problems in group theory, number theory, and algebraic geometry.

Generalized Burnside–Grothendieck ring functor and aperiodic ring functor associated with profinite groups

The conference focused on the use of geometric methods to study infinite groups and the interplay of group theory with other areas. One of the central techniques in geometric group theory is to study infinite discrete groups by their actions on nice, suitable spaces. These spaces often carry an interesting large-scale geometry, such as non-positive curvature or hyperbolicity in the sense of Gromov, or are equipped with rich geometric or combinatorial structure. From these actions one can investigate structural properties of the groups. This connection has become very prominent during the last years. In this context non-discrete topological groups, such as profinite groups or locally compact groups appear quite naturally. Likewise, analytic methods and operator theory play an increasing role in the area.

Given a set π of primes, say that a finite group G satisfies the Sylow π-theorem if every two maximal π-subgroups of G are conjugate; equivalently, the full analog of the Sylow theorem holds for π-subgroups. Say also that a finite group G satisfies the Baer-Suzuki π-theorem if every conjugacy class of G every pair of whose elements generate a π-subgroup itself generates a π-subgroup. In this article we prove, using the classification of finite simple groups, that if a finite group satisfies the Sylow π-theorem then it satisfies the Baer-Suzuki π-theorem as well.

Let x be a p-element of a finite group G. We say that x is unfused in G if, for some Sylow p-subgroup S of G containing x, all G-conjugates of x in S are S-conjugates. It is shown (using the classification of finite simple groups) that a finite group that contains an unfused involution has a chief factor of order 2. #Communicated by M. Dixon.