On J. H. C. Whitehead's aspherical question I

A connected, finite two-dimensional CW-complex with fundamental group isomorphic toG is called a [G, 2] _f -complex. LetL⊲G be a normal subgroup ofG. L has weightk if and only ifk is the smallest integer such that there exists {l ₁,…,l _k}⊆L such thatL is the normal closure inG of {l ₁,…,l _k}. We prove that a [G, 2] _f -complexX may be embedded as a subcomplex of an aspherical complexY=X∪{e ₁ ² ,…,e _k ² } if and only ifG has a normal subgroupL of weightk such thatH=G/L is at most two-dimensional and defG=defH+k. Also, ifX is anon-aspherical [G, 2] _f -subcomplex of an aspherical 2-complex, then there exists a non-trivial superperfect normal subgroupP such thatG/P has cohomological dimension ≤2. In this case, any torsion inG must be inP.     

Finite dimensional representations and subgroup actions on homogeneous spaces

LetH be an ℝ-subgroup of a ℚ-algebraic groupG. We study the connection between the dynamics of the subgroup action ofH onG/G _ℤ and the representation-theoretic properties ofH being observable and epimorphic inG. We show that ifH is a ℚ-subgroup thenH is observable inG if and only if a certainH orbit is closed inG/G _ℤ; that ifH is epimorphic inG then the action ofH onG/G _ℤ is minimal, and that the converse holds whenH is a ℚ-subgroup ofG; and that ifH is a ℚ-subgroup ofG then the closure of the orbit underH of the identity coset image inG/G _ℤ is the orbit of the same point under the observable envelope ofH inG. Thus in subgroup actions on homogeneous spaces, closures of ‘rational orbits’ (orbits in which everything which can be defined over ℚ, is defined over ℚ) are always submanifolds.     

Semigroup actions on homogeneous spaces

LetG be a connected semi-simple Lie group with finite center andS⊄G a subsemigroup with interior points. LetG/L be a homogeneous space. There is a natural action ofS onG/L. The relationx≤y ify ∈Sx, x, y ∈G/L, is transitive but not reflexive nor symmetric. Roughly, a control set is a subsetD ⊄G/L, inside of which reflexivity and symmetry for ≤ hold. Control sets are studied inG/L whenL is the minimal parabolic subgroup. They are characterized by means of the Weyl chambers inG meeting intS. Thus, for eachw ∈W, the Weyl group ofG, there is a control setD _w .D ₁ is the only invariant control set, and the subsetW(S)={w:D _w =D ₁} turns out to be a subgroup. The control sets are determined byW(S)/W. The following consequences are derived: i)S=G ifS is transitive onG/H, i.e.Sx=G/H for allx ∈G/H. HereH is a non discrete closed subgroup different fromG andG is simple. ii)S is neither left nor right reversible ifS #G iii)S is maximal only if it is the semigroup of compressions of a subset of some minimal flag manifold. Research partially supported by CNPq grant n^o 50.13.73/91-8     

Normal Cayley graphs of finite groups

LetG be a finite group and let S be a nonempty subset of G not containing the identity element 1. The Cayley (di) graph X = Cay(G, S) of G with respect to S is defined byV (X)=G, E (X)={(g,sg)|g∈G, s∈S} A Cayley (di) graph X = Cay (G,S) is said to be normal ifR(G) ◃A = Aut (X). A group G is said to have a normal Cayley (di) graph if G has a subset S such that the Cayley (di) graph X = Cay (G, S) is normal. It is proved that every finite group G has a normal Cayley graph unlessG≅ℤ₄×ℤ₂ orG≅Q ₈×ℤ ₂ ^r (r⩾0) and that every finite group has a normal Cayley digraph, where Z_m is the cyclic group of orderm and Q₈ is the quaternion group of order 8. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 10231060) and the Doctorial Program Foundation of Institutions of Higher Education of China.     

Reality properties of conjugacy classes in<Emphasis Type="Italic">G</Emphasis><Subscript>2</Subscript>

LetG be an algebraic group over a fieldk. We callg εG(k) real ifg is conjugate tog ⁻¹ inG(k). In this paper we study reality for groups of typeG ₂ over fields of characteristic different from 2. LetG be such a group overk. We discuss reality for both semisimple and unipotent elements. We show that a semisimple element inG(k) is real if and only if it is a product of two involutions inG(k). Every unipotent element inG(k) is a product of two involutions inG(k). We discuss reality forG ₂ over special fields and construct examples to show that reality fails for semisimple elements inG ₂ over ℚ and ℚ_p. We show that semisimple elements are real forG ₂ overk withcd(k) ≤ 1. We conclude with examples of nonreal elements inG ₂ overk finite, with characteristick not 2 or 3, which are not semisimple or unipotent.     

Homogeneous Riemannian manifolds of positive Ricci curvature

We prove that a homogeneous effective spaceM=G/H, whereG is a connected Lie group andH⊂G is a compact subgroup, admits aG-invariant Riemannian metric of positive Ricci curvature if and only if the spaceM is compact and its fundamental group π₁(M) is finite (in this case any normal metric onG/H is suitable). This is equivalent to the following conditions: the groupG is compact and the largest semisimple subgroupLG⊂G is transitive onG/H. Furthermore, ifG is nonsemisimple, then there exists aG-invariant fibration ofM over an effective homogeneous space of a compact semisimple Lie group with the torus as the fiber. Translated fromMatematicheskie Zametki, Vol. 58, No. 3, pp. 334–340, September, 1995.     

A new characterization of frobenius complements

LetH, G be finite groups such thatH acts onG and each non-trivial element ofH fixes at mostf elements ofG. It is shown that, ifG is sufficiently large, thenH has the structure of a Frobenius complement. This result depends on the classification of finite simple groups. We conclude that, ifG is a finite group andA ⊆G is any non-cyclic abelian subgroup, then the order ofG is bounded above in terms of the maximal order of a centralizerC _G(a) for 1≠a ∈A.     

Generalized hexagons of order (t,t)

A generalized hexagon of order (t,t) in which certain subsets are maximal may be characterized as the generalized hexagon associated with Dickson’s groupG ₂(t). From this geometric result, it follows that ifG is a group of automorphisms of a generalized hexagon of order (p,p) for a primep and ifG has rank 4 on points, thenG ⊵G ₂(p).     

On a class of groups of prime-power order

LetG be a finitep-group,d(G)=dimH ¹ (G, Z _p) andr(G)=dimH ²(G, Z_p). Thend(G) is the minimal number of generators ofG, and we say thatG is a member of a classG _p of finitep-groups ifG has a presentation withd(G) generators andr(G) relations. We show that ifG is any finitep-group, thenG is the direct factor of a member ofG _p by a member ofG _p .     

On the Modular Version of the Gluck-Wolf Theorem

Let N be a normal subgroup of a finite group G. Let ϕ be an irreducible Brauer character of N. Assume π is a set of primes and χ(1)/ϕ(1) is a π′-number of any χ∈IBr _p (G/ϕ). If p∤|G:N|, and N is p-solvable, then G/N has an abelian-by-metabelian Hall-π subgroup; If p∉π then G/N has a metabelian Hall-π subgroup. Received February 22, 2000, Accepted May 9, 2001     

Large centralizers in finite solvable groups

In 1955 R. Brauer and K. A. Fowler showed that ifG is a group of even order >2, and the order |Z(G)| of the center ofG is odd, then there exists a strongly real) elementx∈G−Z whose centralizer satisfies|C _G(x)|>|G|^1/3. In Theorem 1 we show that every non-abeliansolvable groupG contains an elementx∈G−Z such that|C _G(x)|>[G:G′∩Z]^1/2 (and thus|C _G(x)|>|G|^1/3). We also note that if non-abelianG is either metabelian, nilpotent or (more generally) supersolvable, or anA-group, or any Frobenius group, then|C _G(x)|>|G|^1/2 for somex∈G−Z. In Theorem 2 we prove that every non-abelian groupG of orderp ^mqⁿ (p, q primes) contains a proper centralizer of order >|G|^1/2. Finally, in Theorem 3 we show that theaverage |C(x)|, x∈G, is ≧c|G| ^1/3 for metabelian groups, wherec is constant and the exponent 1/3 is best possible.     

Polar actions on Hilbert space

An isometricH-action on a Riemannian manifoldX is calledpolar if there exists a closed submanifoldS ofX that meets everyH-orbit and always meets orbits orthogonally (S is called a section). LetG be a compact Lie group equipped with a biinvariant metric,H a closed subgroup ofG ×G, and letH act onG isometrically by (h ₁,h ₂) ·x = h ₁ xh ₂ ⁻¹ · LetP(G, H) denote the group ofH ¹-pathsg: [0, 1] →G such that (g(0),g (1)) ∈H, and letP(G, H) act on the Hilbert spaceV = H ⁰([0, 1], g) isometrically byg * u = gug ⁻¹ −g′g ⁻¹. We prove that if the action ofH onG is polar with a flat section then the action ofP(G, H) onV is polar. Principal orbits of polar actions onV are isoparametric submanifolds ofV and are infinite-dimensional generalized real or complex flag manifolds. We also note that the adjoint actions of affine Kac-Moody groups and the isotropy action corresponding to an involution of an affine Kac-Moody group are special examples ofP(G, H)-actions for suitable choice ofH andG. Work supported partially by NSF Grant DMS 8903237 and by The Max-Planck-Institut für Mathematik in Bonn.     

Homology of free Lie powers and torsion in groups

LetG be a group that is given by a free presentationG=F/R, and let_γ4 R denote the fourth term of the lower central series of R. We show that ifG has no elements of order 2, then the torsion subgroup of the free central extensionF/[_γ4 R,F] can be identified with the homology groupR _γ6(G, ℤ/2ℤ). This is a consequence of our main result which refers to the homology ofG with coefficients in Lie powers of relation modules.     

Distributivity conditions for lattices of dominions in quasivarieties of Abelian groups

Let ℳ be any quasivariety of Abelian groups, L_q(ℳ) be a subquasivariety lattice of ℳ, dom _G ^ℳ be the dominion of a subgroup H of a group G in ℳ, and G/dom _G ^ℳ (H) be a finitely generated group. It is known that the set L(G, H, ℳ) = {dom _G ^N (H)| N ∈ L_q(ℳ)} forms a lattice w.r.t. set-theoretic inclusion. We look at the structure of dom _G ^ℳ (H). It is proved that the lattice L(G,H,ℳ) is semidistributive and necessary and sufficient conditions are specified for its being distributive. __________ Translated from Algebra i Logika, Vol. 45, No. 4, pp. 484–499, July–August, 2006.     

Irreducible disconnected systems in groups

LetG be an arbitrary group with a subgroupA. The subdegrees of (A, G) are the indices [A:A ∪A ⁹] (wheregεG). Equivalent definitions of that concept are given in [IP] and [K]. IfA is not normal inG and all the subdegrees of (A, G) are finite, we attach to (A, G) the common divisor graph Γ: its vertices are the non-unit subdegrees of (A, G), and two different subdegrees are joined by an edge iff they arenot coprime. It is proved in [IP] that Γ has at most two connected components. Assume that Γ is disconnected. LetD denote the subdegree set of (A, G) and letD ₁ be the set of all the subdegrees in the component of Γ containing min(D−{1}). We proved [K, Theorem A] that ifA is stable inG (a property which holds whenA or [G:A] is finite), then the setH={g ε G| [A:A ∪A ^g ] εD ₁ ∪ {1}} is a subgroup ofG. In this case we say thatA<H<G is a disconnected system (briefly: a system). In the current paper we deal with some fundamental types of systems. A systemA<H<G is irreducible if there does not exist 1<N△G such thatAN<H andAN/N<H/N<G/N is a system. Theorem A gives restrictions on the finite nilpotent normal subgroups ofG, whenG possesses an irreducible system. In particular, ifG is finite then Fit(G) is aq-group for a certain primeq. We deal also with general systems. Corollary (4.2) gives information about the structure of a finite groupG which possesses a system. Theorem B says that for any systemA<H<G,N _G (N _G (A))=N _G (A). Theorem C and Corollary C’ generalize a result of Praeger [P, Theorem 2]. The content of this paper corresponds to a part of the author’s Ph.D. thesis carried out at Tel Aviv University under the supervision of Prof. Marcel Herzog.     

On Frobenius' conjecture

By using the classification theorem of finite simple groups, we have shown that “IfG is a finite group,H is a coprime operator group ofG, C _G(H)≤S(G), thenG is solvable.” As a direct corollary, we have completely proved the long-standing conjecture on fixed-point-free automorphism group. The author is grateful to Professor Chen Zhongmu for his supervision.     

Über Eine Klasse Endlicher Absoluter Geometrien

LetG be a finite group which is generated by a subsetS of involutions satisfying the theorem of the three reflections: Ifa,b,x,y,z S, ab 1 and ifabx,aby,abz are involutions, thenxyz S. Assume thatS contains three elements which generate a four-group. ThenS is a class of conjugate elements ofG if and only ifG/Z(G) is a non-abelian simple group. Moreover,G/Z(G) is a nonabelian simple group ifG is not isomorphic to any PGL₂(n).     

EQUIVARIANT SELF EQUIVALENCES OF PRINCIPAL FIBRE BUNDLES

Let E be a compact Lie group, G a closed subgroup of E, and H a closed normal sub-group of G. For principal fibre bundle (E,p, E,/G;G) tmd (E/H,p‘,E/G;G/H), the relation between auta(E) (resp. autce (E)) and autG/H(E/H) (resp. autGe/H(E/H)) is investigated by using bundle map theory and transformation group theory. It will enable us to compute the group JG(E) (resp. SG(E)) while the group J G/u(E/H) is known.     

On simple groups and simple singularities

We give a proof of a characteristicp version of Brieskorn’s theorem, namely, that ifG is a simply connected simple algebraic group of typeA, D orE over an algebraically closed fieldk whose characteristic is very good forG, then the categorical quotient morphismG→G//G _ad yields, when restricted to a general slice through a pointP in the subregular unipotent orbit inG, a miniversal deformation of the rational double point overk of the same type asG.     

Division algebras with a projective basis

Letk be any field andG a finite group. Given a cohomology class α∈H ²(G,k ^*), whereG acts trivially onk ^*, one constructs the twisted group algebrak ^αG. Unlike the group algebrakG, the twisted group algebra may be a division algebra (e.g. symbol algebras, whereG⋞Z _n×Z_n). This paper has two main results: First we prove that ifD=k ^α G is a division algebra central overk (equivalentyD has a projectivek-basis) thenG is nilpotent andG’ the commutator subgroup ofG, is cyclic. Next we show that unless char(k)=0 and , the division algebraD=k ^α G is a product of cyclic algebras. Furthermore, ifD _p is ap-primary factor ofD, thenD _p is a product of cyclic algebras where all but possibly one are symbol algebras. If char(k)=0 and , the same result holds forD _p, p odd. Ifp=2 we show thatD ₂ is a product of quaternion algebras with (possibly) a crossed product algebra (L/k,β), Gal(L/k)⋞Z ₂×Z₂n.