We present an elementary proof that the nonassociative simple Moufang loops over finite prime fields are generated by three elements. In the last section, we conclude that integral Cayley numbers of unit norm are generated multiplicatively by three elements.
We show how to obtain all nonassociative Moufang loops of order less than 64 and 4262 nonassociative Moufang loops of order 64 in a unified way. We conjecture that there are no other nonassociative Moufang loops of order 64. The main idea of the computer search is to modify precisely one quarter of the multiplication table in a certain way, previously applied to small 2-groups.
We classify Moufang loops of order 64 and 81 up to isomorphism, using a linear algebraic approach to central loop extensions. In addition to the 267 groups of order 64, there are 4262 nonassociative Moufang loops of order 64. In addition to the $15$ groups of order $81$, there are $5$ nonassociative Moufang loops of order $81$, $2$ of which are commutative.
Moufang loops are one of the best-known generalizations of groups. There is only one countable family of nonassociative finite simple Moufang loops, arising from the split octonion algebras. We prove that every member of this family is generated by three elements, using the classical results on generators of unimodular groups.
We construct a Moufang loop $M$ of order $3^{19}$ and a pair $a,b$ of its elements such that the set of all elements of $M$ that associate with $a$ and $b$ does not form a subloop. This is also an example of a nonassociative Moufang loop with a generating set whose every three elements associate.
The probability that $m$ randomly chosen elements of a finite power associative loop $C$ have prescribed orders and generate $C$ is calculated in terms of certain constants related to the action of $Aut(C)$ on the subloop lattice of $C$. As an illustration, all meaningful probabilities of random generation by elements of given orders are found for the smallest nonassociative simple Moufang loop.
Nonassociative finite simple Moufang loops are exactly the loops constructed by Paige from Zorn vector matrix algebras. We prove this result anew, using geometric loop theory. In order to make the paper accessible to a broader audience, we carefully discuss the connections between composition algebras, simple Moufang loops, simple Moufang 3-nets, $S$-simple groups and groups with triality. Related results on multiplication groups, automorphisms groups and generators of Paige loops are provided.
We use groups with triality to construct a series of nonassociative Moufang loops. Certain members of this series contain an abelian normal subloop with the corresponding quotient being a cyclic group. In particular, we give a new series of examples of finite abelian-by-cyclic Moufang loops. The previously known [A. Rajah, J. Alg., 235 (2001), 66-93] loops of this type of odd order 3q^3, with prime q congruent to 1 mod 3, are particular cases of our series. Some of the examples are shown to be embeddable into a Cayley algebra.
Automorphic loops are loops in which all inner mappings are automorphisms. This variety of loops includes, for instance, groups and commutative Moufang loops. We study uniquely 2-divisible automorphic loops, particularly automorphic loops of odd order, from the point of view of the associated Bruck loops (motivated by Glauberman's work on uniquely 2-divisible Moufang loops) and the associated Lie rings (motivated by a construction of Wright). We prove that every automorphic loop $Q$ of odd order is solvable, contains an element of order $p$ for every prime $p$ dividing $|Q|$, and $|S|$ divides…
Let $F$ be a perfect field and $M^*(F)$ the nonassociative simple Moufang loop consisting of the units in the (unique) split octonion algebra $O(F)$ modulo the center. Then $Aut(M^*(F))$ is equal to $G_2(F) \rtimes Aut(F)$. In particular, every automorphism of $M^*(F)$ is induced by a semilinear automorphism of $O(F)$. The proof combines results and methods from geometrical loop theory, groups of Lie type and composition algebras; its gist being an identification of the automorphism group of a Moufang loop with a subgroup of the automorphism group of the associated group with triality.
C-loops are loops satisfying $x(y(yz))=((xy)y)z$. They often behave analogously to Moufang loops and they are closely related to Steiner triple systems and combinatorics. We initiate the study of C-loops by proving: (i) Steiner loops are C-loops, (ii) C-loops are alternative, inverse property loops with squares in the nucleus, (iii) the nucleus of a C-loop is a normal subgroup, (iv) C-loops modulo their nucleus are Steiner loops, (v) C-loops are power associative, power alternative but not necessarily diassociative, (vi) torsion commutative C-loops are products of torsion abelian groups and to…
We study closed subgroups $G$ of the automorphism group of a locally finite tree $T$ acting doubly transitively on the boundary. We show that if the stabiliser of some end is metabelian, then there is a local field $k$ such that $\mathrm{PSL}_2(k) \leq G \leq \mathrm{PGL}_2(k)$. We also show that the contraction group of some hyperbolic element is closed and torsion-free if and only if $G$ is (virtually) a rank one simple $p$-adic analytic group for some prime $p$. A key point is that if some contraction group is closed, then $G$ is boundary-Moufang, meaning that the boundary $\partial T$ is a…
We study conjugacy closed loops (CC-loops) and power-associative CC-loops (PACC-loops). If $Q$ is a PACC-loop with nucleus $N$, then $Q/N$ is an abelian group of exponent 12; if in addition $Q$ is finite, then $|Q|$ is divisible by 16 or by 27. There are eight nonassociative PACC-loops of order 16, three of which are not extra loops. There are eight nonassociative PACC-loops of order 27, four of which have the automorphic inverse property. We also study some special elements in loops, such as Moufang elements, weak inverse property (WIP) elements, and extra elements. In a CC-loop, the set of W…
The decomposition theorem for torsion abelian groups holds analogously for torsion commutative diassociative loops. With this theorem in mind, we investigate commutative diassociative loops satisfying the additional condition (trivially satisfied in the abelian group case) that all $n$th powers are central, for a fixed $n$. For $n=2$, we get precisely commutative $C$ loops. For $n=3$, a prominent variety is that of commutative Moufang loops. Many analogies between commutative C and Moufang loops have been noted in the literature, often obtained by interchanging the role of the primes 2 and 3. …
The Sylow theorems hold for finite extra loops, as does P. Hall's theorem for finite solvable extra loops. Every finite nonassociative extra loop $Q$ has a nontrivial center, $Z(Q)$. Furthermore, $Q/Z(Q)$ is a group whenever $|Q| < 512$. Loop extensions are used to construct an infinite nonassociative extra loop with a trivial center and a nonassociative extra loop $Q$ of order 512 such that $Q/Z(Q)$ is nonassociative. There are exactly 16 nonassociative extra loops of order $16p$ for each odd prime $p$.
Let $M^*(q)$ be the unique nonassociative finite simple Moufang loop constructed over $GF(q)$. We prove that $Aut(M^*(2))$ is the Chevalley group $G_2(2)$, by extending multiplicative automorphism of $M^*(2)$ into linear automorphisms of the unique split octonion algebra over GF(2). Many of our auxiliary results apply in the general case. In the course of the proof we show that every element of a split octonion algebra can be written as a sum of two elements of norm one.
These notes accompany a series of three lectures on automorphic loops to be delivered by the author at Workshops Loops '15 (Ohrid, Macedonia, 2015). Automorphic loops are loops in which all inner mappings are automorphisms. The first paper on automorphic loops appeared in 1956 and there has been a surge of interest in the topic since 2010. The purpose of these notes is to introduce the methods used in the study of automorphic loops to a wider audience of researchers working in nonassociative mathematics. In the first lecture we establish basic properties of automorphic loops (flexibility, powe…
The Moufang loop named for Richard Parker is a central extension of the extended binary Golay code. It the prototypical example of a general class of nonassociative structures known today as code loops, which have been studied from a number of different algebraic and combinatorial perspectives. This expository article aims to highlight an experimental approach to computing in code loops, by a combination of a small amount of precomputed information and making use of the rich identities that code loops' twisted cocycles satisfy. As a byproduct we demonstrate that one can reconstruct the multipl…
A left Bol loop is a loop satisfying $x(y(xz)) = (x(yx))z$. The commutant of a loop is the set of elements which commute with all elements of the loop. In a finite Bol loop of odd order or of order $2k$, $k$ odd, the commutant is a subloop. We investigate conditions under which the commutant of a Bol loop is not a subloop. In a finite Bol loop of order relatively prime to 3, the commutant generates an abelian group of order dividing the order of the loop. This generalizes a well-known result for Moufang loops. After describing all extensions of a loop $K$ such that $K$ is in the left and middl…
An \emph{automorphic loop} (or \emph{A-loop}) is a loop whose inner mappings are automorphisms. Every element of a commutative A-loop generates a group, and $(xy)^{-1} = x^{-1}y^{-1}$ holds. Let $Q$ be a finite commutative A-loop and $p$ a prime. The loop $Q$ has order a power of $p$ if and only if every element of $Q$ has order a power of $p$. The loop $Q$ decomposes as a direct product of a loop of odd order and a loop of order a power of 2. If $Q$ is of odd order, it is solvable. If $A$ is a subloop of $Q$ then $|A|$ divides $|Q|$. If $p$ divides $|Q|$ then $Q$ contains an element of order …