Let $\G$ be a limit group, $S\subset\G$ a subgroup, and $N$ the normaliser of $S$. If $H_1(S,\mathbb Q)$ has finite $\Q$-dimension, then $S$ is finitely generated and either $N/S$ is finite or $N$ is abelian. This result has applications to the study of subdirect products of limit groups.
The computation of the normaliser of a permutation group in the full symmetric group is an important and hard problem in computational group theory. This article reports on an algorithm that builds a descending chain of overgroups to determine the normaliser. A detailed performance test in magma shows the improvement for large examples of intransitive and imprimitive groups.
We study finite transitive permutation groups $G\leqslant\operatorname{Sym}(Ω)$ such that all orbits of the conjugation action on $G$ of the normaliser of $G$ in $\operatorname{Sym}(Ω)$ have size bounded by some constant. Our results extend recent results, due to the first author, on finite abstract groups $G$ such that all orbits of the natural action of the automorphism group $\operatorname{Aut}(G)$ on $G$ have size bounded by some constant.
It is well known that the normaliser of a parabolic subgroup of a finite Coxeter group is the semidirect product of the parabolic subgroup by the stabiliser of a set of simple roots. We show that a similar result holds for all finite unitary reflection groups: namely, the normaliser of a parabolic subgroup is a semidirect product and in many, but not all, cases the complement can be obtained as the stabiliser of a set of roots. In addition we record when the complement acts as a reflection group on the space of fixed points of the parabolic subgroup.
We construct an analogue of the normaliser decomposition for p-local finite groups (S,F,L) with respect to collections of F-centric subgroups and collections of elementary abelian subgroups of S. This enables us to describe the classifying space of a p-local finite group, before p-completion, as the homotopy colimit of a diagram of classifying spaces of finite groups whose shape is a poset and all maps are induced by group monomorphisms.
We show that given generators for subgroups $G$ and $H$ of $\mathrm{S}_n$, if $G$ is primitive then generators for $\mathrm{N}_H(G)$ may be computed in quasipolynomial time, namely $2^{O(\log^3 n)}$. The previous best known bound was simply exponential.
The normaliser problem has as input two subgroups $H$ and $K$ of the symmetric group $S_n$, and asks for a generating set for $N_K(H)$: it is not known to have a subexponential time solution. It is proved in [Roney-Dougal & Siccha, 2020] that if $H$ is primitive then the normaliser problem can be solved in quasipolynomial time. We show that for all subgroups $H$ and $K$ of $S_n$, in quasipolynomial time we can decide whether $N_{S_n}(H)$ is primitive, and if so compute $N_K(H)$. Hence we reduce the question of whether one can solve the normaliser problem in quasipolynomial time to the case whe…
Let $G = O^{p'}(\bar{G}^F)$ be a finite simple group of Lie type defined over a field of characteristic $p$, where $F$ is a Steinberg endomorphism of the ambient simple algebraic group $\bar{G}$. Let $\bar{T}$ be an $F$-stable maximal torus of $\bar{G}$ and set $N = N_G(\bar{T})$. A conjecture due to Vdovin asserts that if $G \not\cong {\rm L}_3(2)$ then $N \cap N^x$ is a $p$-group for some $x \in G$. In this paper, we use a combination of probabilistic and computational methods to calculate the base size for the natural action of $G$ on $G/N$, which allows us to prove a stronger, and suitably…
Normalisers of parabolic subgroups of Artin--Tits groups and Tits cone intersections
Departamento de Álgebra e Instituto de Matemáticas de la Universidad de Sevilla(塞维利亚大学代数系与数学研究所);School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Sydney(悉尼大学数学与统计学院);CNRS-ANU International Research Laboratory FAMSI and Mathematical Sciences Institute, The Australian National University(法国国家科学研究中心-澳大利亚国立大学FAMSI国际研究实验室与澳大利亚国立大学数学科学研究所)
We announce various results concerning the structure of compactly generated simple locally compact groups. We introduce a local invariant, called the structure lattice, which consists of commensurability classes of compact subgroups with open normaliser, and show that its properties reflect the global structure of the ambient group.
In this paper we study the number of twisted conjugacy classes (the Reidemeister number) for automorphisms of crystallographic groups. We present two main algorithms for crystallographic groups whose holonomy group has finite normaliser in $\operatorname{GL}_n(\mathbb{Z})$. The first algorithm calculates whether a group has the $R_\infty$-property; the second calculates the Reidemeister spectrum. We apply these algorithms to crystallographic groups up to dimension $6$.
A Cayley graph for a group $G$ is CCA if every automorphism of the graph that preserves the edge-orbits under the regular representation of $G$ is an element of the normaliser of $G$. A group $G$ is then said to be CCA if every connected Cayley graph on $G$ is CCA. We show that a finite simple group is CCA if and only if it has no element of order 4. We also show that "many" 2-groups are non-CCA.
A locally normal subgroup in a topological group is a subgroup whose normaliser is open. In this paper, we provide a detailed description of the large-scale structure of closed locally normal subgroups of complete Kac-Moody groups over finite fields. Combining that description with the main result from arXiv:2111.07066, we show that under mild assumptions, if the Kac-Moody group is one-ended (a property that is easily determined from the generalised Cartan matrix), then it is locally indecomposable, which means that no open subgroup decomposes as a nontrivial direct product.
We show that the geometric realisation of the poset of proper parabolic subgroups of a large-type Artin group has a systolic geometry. We use this geometry to show that the set of parabolic subgroups of a large-type Artin group is stable under arbitrary intersections and forms a lattice for the inclusion. As an application, we show that parabolic subgroups of large-type Artin groups are stable under taking roots and we completely characterise the parabolic subgroups that are conjugacy stable. We also use this geometric perspective to recover and unify results describing the normalisers of para…
Let $p$ be any prime. Let $P_n$ be a Sylow $p$-subgroup of the symmetric group $S_n$. Let $ϕ$ and $ψ$ be linear characters of $P_n$ and let $N$ be the normaliser of $P_n$ in $S_n$. In this article we show that the inductions of $ϕ$ and $ψ$ to $S_n$ are equal if, and only if, $ϕ$ and $ψ$ are $N$--conjugate. This is an analogue for symmetric groups of a result of Navarro for $p$-solvable groups.
Let Omega be a quasisimple classical group in its natural representation over a finite vector space V, and let Delta be its normaliser in the general linear group. We construct the projection from Delta to Delta/Omega and provide fast, polynomial-time algorithms for computing the image of an element. Given a discrete logarithm oracle, we also represent Delta/Omega as a group with at most 3 generators and 6 relations. We then compute canonical representatives for the cosets of Omega. A key ingredient of our algorithms is a new, asymptotically fast method for constructing isometries between spac…
Let $\hat G$ be the finite simply connected version of an exceptional Chevalley group, and let $V$ be a nontrivial irreducible module, of minimal dimension, for $\hat G$ over its field of definition. We explore the overgroup structure of $\hat G$ in $\mathrm{GL}(V)$, and the submodule structure of the exterior square (and sometimes the third Lie power) of $V$. When $\hat G$ is defined over a field of odd prime order $p$, this allows us to construct the smallest (with respect to certain properties) $p$-groups $P$ such that the group induced by $\mathrm{Aut}(P)$ on $P/Φ(P)$ is either $\hat G$ or…
Let $G:={^2G_2}(q)$ be the simple Ree group with $q=3^{2k+1}$ and $k$ a positive integer. We show that the centre of the principal block $Z(kGe_0)$, where $k$ is an algebraically closed field of characteristic $3$, is not isomorphic to the centre of the Brauer corresponding block $Z(kN_G(P))$, where $N_G(P)$ is the normaliser in $G$ of a Sylow $3$-subgroup. As part of the proof, we compute the conjugacy classes of elements and the character tables of the maximal parabolic subgroups of $G$.
We classify the normal subgroups K of the tetrahedral group Delta=[3,5,3]^+, the even subgroup of the Coxeter group Gamma=[3,5,3], with Delta/K isomorphic to a finite simple group L_2(q). We determine their normalisers N(K) in the isometry group of hyperbolic 3-space H^3, the isometry groups N(K)/K of the associated hyperbolic 3-manifolds H^3/K, and the symmetry groups N_{Gamma}(K)/K of the icosahedral tessellations of these manifolds, giving a detailed analysis of how L_2(q) acts on these tessellations.
In this paper characters of the normaliser of $d$-split Levi subgroups in $\mathrm {SL}_n(q)$ and $\mathrm {SU}_n(q)$ are parametrized with a particular focus on the Clifford theory between the Levi subgroup and its normalizer.These results are applied to verify the Alperin-McKay conjecture for primes $\ell$ with $\ell\nmid 6(q^2-1)$ and the Alperin weight conjecture for $\ell$-blocks of those quasi-simple groups with abelian defect. The inductive Alperin-McKay condition and inductive Alperin weight condition by the second author are verified for certain blocks of $\mathrm {SL}_n(q)$ and $\mat…
In this article, we state and prove a general criterion which prevents some groups from acting properly on finite-dimensional CAT(0) cube complexes. As an application, we show that, for every non-trivial finite group $F$, the lamplighter group $F \wr \mathbb{F}_2$ over a free group does not act properly on a finite-dimensional CAT(0) cube complex (although it acts properly on a infinite-dimensional CAT(0) cube complex). We also deduce from this general criterion that, roughly speaking, given a group $G$ acting on a CAT(0) cube complex of finite dimension and an infinite torsion subgroup $L \le…
Let $G$ be an arbitrary finite group. The McKay conjecture asserts that $G$ and the normaliser $N_G (P)$ of a Sylow $p$-subgroup $P$ in $G$ have the same number of characters of degree not divisible by $p$ (that is, of $p'$-degree). We propose a new refinement of the McKay conjecture, which suggests that one may choose a correspondence between the characters of $p'$-degree of $G$ and $N_G (P)$ to be compatible with induction and restriction in a certain sense. This refinement implies, in particular, a conjecture of Isaacs and Navarro. We also state a corresponding refinement of the Broué abeli…
Let G be a totally disconnected, locally compact group. A closed subgroup of G is locally normal if its normaliser is open in G. We begin an investigation of the structure of the family of closed locally normal subgroups of G. Modulo commensurability, this family forms a modular lattice, called the structure lattice of G. We show that G admits a canonical maximal quotient H for which the quasi-centre and the abelian locally normal subgroups are trivial. In this situation the structure lattice of H has a canonical subset called the centraliser lattice, forming a Boolean algebra whose elements c…
We study the problem of determining the isomorphism classes of the virtually cyclic subgroups of the n-string braid groups B_n(S^2) of the 2-sphere S^2. If n is odd, or if n is even and sufficiently large, we obtain the complete classification. For small even values of n, the classification is complete up to an explicit finite number of open cases. In order to prove our main theorem, we obtain a number of other results of independent interest, notably the characterisation of the centralisers and normalisers of the finite cyclic and dicyclic subgroups of B_n(S^2), a result concerning conjugate …
We study the topological structure of the direct limit $\glim G_n$ of a tower of topological groups $(G_n)$ in the category of topological groups and show that under some conditions on the tower $(G_n)$ the topology of $\glim G_n$ coincides with the topology of the direct limit $\ulim G_n$ of the groups $G_n$ endowed with the Roelcke uniformity in the category of uniform spaces.
We give a topological framework for the study of Sela's limit groups: limit groups are limits of free groups in a compact space of marked groups. Many results get a natural interpretation in this setting. The class of limit groups is known to coincide with the class of finitely generated fully residually free groups. The topological approach gives some new insight on the relation between fully residually free groups, the universal theory of free groups, ultraproducts and non-standard free groups.
Let $Γ$ be a torsion-free hyperbolic group. We study $Γ$--limit groups which, unlike the fundamental case in which $Γ$ is free, may not be finitely presentable or geometrically tractable. We define model $Γ$--limit groups, which always have good geometric properties (in particular, they are always relatively hyperbolic). Given a strict resolution of an arbitrary $Γ$--limit group $L$, we canonically construct a strict resolution of a model $Γ$--limit group, which encodes all homomorphisms $L\to Γ$ that factor through the given resolution. We propose this as the correct framework in which to stu…
We will show that all inverse limits of finite rank free groups index by the natural numbers are isomorphic either to a finite rank free group or to a fixed universal group. In other words, any inverse system of finite rank free groups which is not equivalent to an eventually constant system has the universal group as its limit. This universal inverse limit is naturally isomorphic to the first shape group of the Hawaiian earring. We also give an example of a homomorphic image of a Hawaiian earring group which lies in the inverse limit of free groups but is neither a free group nor a Hawaiian e…
We describe the two-generated limits of abelian-by-(infinite cyclic) groups in the space of marked groups using number theoretic methods. We also discuss universal equivalence of these limits.
We give a characterization of limits of dihedral groups in the space of finitely generated marked groups. We also describe the topological closure of dihedral groups in the space of marked groups on a fixed number of generators.
This is the third paper in a sequence on Krull dimension for limit groups, answering a question of Z. Sela. We give generalizations of the well known fact that a nontrivial commutator in a free group is not a proper power to both graphs of free groups over cyclic subgroups and freely decomposable groups. None of the paper is specifically about limit groups.
We find bounds on the Hilbert space compression of the limit of a directed metric system of groups. We also give estimates on the Hilbert space compression of group extensions of a group $H$ by a a word-hyperbolic group or a group of polynomial growth.
Let F be the Thompson's group. We study the structure of F-limit groups. Consider a sequence of groups marked by three elements, each isomorphic to F. Assume that the this sequence is convergent in the space of marked groups. We prove that no HNN-extension of F over a cyclic subgroup occurs as an F-limit group of such a sequence.
We show that countable direct limits of finite-dimensional Lie groups do not have small subgroups. The same conclusion is obtained for suitable direct limits of infinite-dimensional Lie groups.
We study homological approximations of the profinite completion of a limit group (see Thm.~A) and obtain the analogous of Bridson and Howie's Theorem for the profinite completion of a non-abelian limit group (see Thm.~B).
We introduce and investigate a class of profinite groups defined via extensions of centralizers analogous to the extensively studied class of finitely generated fully residually free groups, that is, limit groups (in the sense of Z. Sela). From the fact that the profinite completion of limit groups belong to this class, results on their group-theoretical structure and homological properties are obtained.
There are limit groups having non-conjugate elements whose images are conjugate in every free quotient. Towers over free groups are freely conjugacy separable.
We show that the free group of rank 2 is a limit of 2-markings of Thompson's group F in the space of all 2-marked groups. More specifically, we find a sequence of generating pairs for F so that as one goes out the sequence, the length of the shortest relation satisfied by the generating pair goes to infinity.
We give a description of $Hom(G,L)$, where $L$ is a limit group (fully residually free group). We construct a finite diagram of groups, Makanin-Razborov diagram, that gives a convinient representation of all such homomorphisms.
Sela introduced limit groups in his work on the Tarski problem, and showed that each limit group has a cyclic hierarchy. In this paper, a class of relatively hyperbolic groups, equipped with a hierarchy similar to the one for limit groups, is shown to be closed under quasi-isometry. Additionally, these groups share some of the properties of limit groups. In particular, groups quasi-isometric to limit groups are shown to be LERF and virtually toral relatively hyperbolic.
Let $G$ be a relatively hyperbolic group that admits a decomposition into a finite graph of relatively hyperbolic groups structure with quasi-isometrically (qi) embedded condition. We prove that the set of conjugates of all the vertex and edge groups satisfy the limit set intersection property for conical limit points. This result is motivated by the work of Sardar for graph of hyperbolic groups.
We prove that cyclic subgroup separability is preserved under exponential completion for groups that belong to a class that includes all coherent RAAGs and toral relatively hyperbolic groups; we do so by exploiting the structure of these completions as iterated free products with commuting subgroups. From this we deduce that the cyclic subgroups of limit groups over coherent RAAGs are separable, answering a question of Casals-Ruiz, Duncan and Kazachov. We also discuss relations between free products with commuting subgroups and the word problem, and recover the fact that limit groups over cohe…
Let Gamma be a torsion-free group which is hyperbolic relative to a collection of free abelian subgroups. We construct Makanin-Razborov diagrams for Gamma. We also prove that every system of equations over Gamma is equivalent to a finite subsystem, and a number of structural results about Gamma-limit groups.
A result of Bridson, Howie, Miller and Short states that if $S$ is a subgroup of type $FP_{n}(\mathbb{Q})$ of the direct product of $n$ limit groups over free groups, then $S$ is virtually the direct product of limit groups over free groups. Furthermore, they characterise finitely presented residually free groups. In this paper these results are generalised to limit groups over Droms right-angled Artin groups. Droms RAAGs are the right-angled Artin groups with the property that all of their finitely generated subgroups are again RAAGs. In addition, we show that the generalised conjugacy proble…
A new class of groups $\mathcal{C}$, containing all coherent RAAGs and all toral relatively hyperbolic groups, is defined. It is shown that, for a group $G$ in the class $\mathcal{C}$, the $\mathbb{Z}[t]$-exponential group $G^{\mathbb{Z}[t]}$ may be constructed as an iterated centraliser extension. Using this fact, it is proved that $G^{\mathbb{Z}[t]}$ is fully residually $G$ (i.e. it has the same universal theory as $G$) and so its finitely generated subgroups are limit groups over $G$. If $\mathbb{G}$ is a coherent RAAG, then the converse also holds - any limit group over $\mathbb{G}$ embeds…
We prove that the set of limit groups is recursive, answering a question of Delzant. One ingredient of the proof is the observation that a finitely presented group with local retractions (a la Long and Reid) is coherent and, furthermore, there exists an algorithm that computes presentations for finitely generated subgroups. The other main ingredient is the ability to algorithmically calculate centralizers in relatively hyperbolic groups. Applications include the existence of recognition algorithms for limit groups and free groups.