Generalized primitive elements of a free group

A Remark on "Counting primitive elements in free groups" (by J. Burillo and E. Ventura)

We observe that a sharp result on the exponential growth rate of the number of primitive elements exists for the free group on two generators.

On the palindromic and primitive widths of a free group

Let G be a group and S a subset of G that generates G. For each x in G define the length l_S(x) of x relative to S to be the minimal k such that x is a product of k elements of S. The supremum of the values l_S(x), x \in G, is called the width of G with respect to S. Here we focus on a free group F. The width of F relative to the set of all primitive (respectively palindromic) elements is called the primitive (respectively palindromic) width of F. We prove that for a free group F_n of finite rank n, both widths are infinite. A result of independent interest is that every primitive element of F…

Primitive flag-transitive generalized hexagons and octagons

Suppose that an automorphism group $G$ acts flag-transitively on a finite generalized hexagon or octagon $\cS$, and suppose that the action on both the point and line set is primitive. We show that $G$ is an almost simple group of Lie type, that is, the socle of $G$ is a simple Chevalley group.

Primitive decompositions of idempotents of the group algebras of dihedral groups and generalized quaternion groups

In this paper, we introduce a method computing the primitive decomposition of idempotents of any semisimple finite group algebra based on its matrix representations and Wedderburn decomposition. Particularly, we use this method to calculate the examples of the dihedral group algebras $\mathbb{C}[D_{2n}]$ and generalized quaternion group algebras $\mathbb{C}[Q_{4m}]$. Inspired by the orthogonality relations of the character tables of these two families of groups, we obtain two sets of trigonometric identities. Furthermore, a group algebra isomorphism between $\mathbb{C}[D_{8}]$ and $\mathbb{C}[…

群作用下本原元的动力学

Dynamics of primitive elements under group actions

本文研究部分本原元固定点的群作用，借助动力学工具提出 Nielsen 围长概念，并证明存在围长无限而 Nielsen 围长有限的群。

Growth of Primitive Elements in Free Groups

In the free group $F_k$, an element is said to be primitive if it belongs to a free generating set. In this paper, we describe what a generic primitive element looks like. We prove that up to conjugation, a random primitive word of length $N$ contains one of the letters exactly once asymptotically almost surely (as $N \to \infty$). This also solves a question from the list `Open problems in combinatorial group theory' [Baumslag-Myasnikov-Shpilrain 02']. Let $p_{k,N}$ be the number of primitive words of length $N$ in $F_k$. We show that for $k \ge 3$, the exponential growth rate of $p_{k,N}$ is…

Primitivity of group rings of non-elementary torsion-free hyperbolic groups

We use a recent result of Alexander and Nishinaka to show that if $G$ is a non-elementary torsion-free hyperbolic group and $R$ is a countable domain, then the group ring $RG$ is primitive. This implies that the group ring $KG$ of any non-elementary torsion-free hyperbolic group $G$ over a field $K$ is primitive.

Finite primitive groups and regular orbits of group elements

We prove that if $G$ is a finite primitive permutation group and if $g$ is an element of $G$, then either $g$ has a cycle of length equal to its order, or for some $r$, $m$ and $k$, the group $G \leq \mathrm{Sym}(m) \textrm{wr} \mathrm{Sym}(r)$ preserves the product structure of $r$ direct copies of the natural action of $\mathrm{Sym}(m)$ on $k$-sets. This gives an answer to a question of Siemons and Zalesski and a solution to a conjecture of Giudici, Praeger and the second author.

Derangements in Cosets of Primitive Permutation Groups

Motivated by questions arising in connection with branched coverings of connected smooth projective curves over finite fields, we study the proportion of fixed point free elements (derangements) in cosets of normal subgroups of primitive permutations groups. Using the Aschbacher-O'Nan-Scott theorem for primitive groups to partition the problem, we provide complete answers for affine groups and groups which contain a regular normal nonabelian subgroup.

Finite primitive permutation groups and regular cycles of their elements

We conjecture that if $G$ is a finite primitive group and if $g$ is an element of $G$, then either the element $g$ has a cycle of length equal to its order, or for some $r,m$ and $k$, the group $G\leq S_m\wr S_r$, preserving a product structure of $r$ direct copies of the natural action of $S_m$ or $A_m$ on $k$-sets. In this paper we reduce this conjecture to the case that $G$ is an almost simple group with socle a classical group.

Singular Gauss sums, Polya-Vinogradov inequality for $GL(2)$ and growth of primitive elements

We establish an analogue of the classical Polya-Vinogradov inequality for $GL(2, \F_p)$, where $p$ is a prime. In the process, we compute the `singular' Gauss sums for $GL(2, \F_p)$. As an application, we show that the collection of elements in $GL(2,\Z)$ whose reduction modulo $p$ are of maximal order in $GL(2, \F_p)$ and whose matrix entries are bounded by $x$ has the expected size as soon as $x\gg p^{1/2+\ep}$ for any $\ep>0$. In particular, there exist elements in $GL(2,\Z)$ with matrix entries that are of the order $O(p^{1/2+\ep})$ whose reduction modulo $p$ are primitive elements.

Orbites d'Hurwitz des factorisations primitives d'un élément de Coxeter

We study the Hurwitz action of the classical braid group on factorisations of a Coxeter element c in a well-generated complex reflection group W. It is well-known that the Hurwitz action is transitive on the set of reduced decompositions of c in reflections. Our main result is a similar property for the primitive factorisations of c, i.e. factorisations with only one factor which is not a reflection. The motivation is the search for a geometric proof of Chapoton's formula for the number of chains of given length in the non-crossing partitions lattice NCP_W. Our proof uses the properties of the…

On Primitive Words I: A New Algorithm

Let $F_k$ be the free group on $k$ generators, and let $H\le J\le \F_k$ be subgroups of finite rank. We present a new elementary algorithm to determine whether $H$ is a free factor of $J$. In particular, this algorithm can determine whether a given element $w\in F_k$ is primitive, i.e. whether it belongs to some basis of $F_k$.