Generation of the symplectic group by involutions (Q2174510): Difference between revisions

Let \(\mathrm{Sp}(V)\) be the symplectic group of a \(2n\)-dimensional vector space \(V\) over a field \(F\) with \(n>1\). A group \(G\) is called \(m\)-reflectional, if every element of \(G\) is a product of \(m\) involutions. If \(F\) is of characteristic \(2\), according to [\textit{E. W. Ellers} and \textit{W. Nolte}, Arch. Math. 39, 113--118 (1982; Zbl 0491.51019)], \(\mathrm{Sp}(V)\) is \(2\)-reflectional. In [\textit{R. J. de la Cruz}, Linear Algebra Appl. 466, 382--400 (2015; Zbl 1310.15020)] it is shown that in the case where \(F\) is the field of complex numbers, \(\mathrm{Sp}(V)\) is \(4\)-reflectional. For the case where \(F\) is the field of complex number in [\textit{D. Awa} and \textit{R. J. de la Cruz}, Linear Algebra Appl. 589, 85--95 (2020; Zbl 1441.15008)] it is shown that every element of \(\mathrm{Sp}(V)\) is a product of a finite number of involution, but this group is not \(4\)-reflectional. In the current paper, the authors show if \(F\) is of characteristic different from \(2\) and \(-1\) is a square in \(F\) then \(\mathrm{Sp}(V)\) is \(4\)-reflectional (resp. \(6\)-reflectional) if \(n\) is even (resp. \(n\) is odd and \(n\geq5\)). The proofs use a lemma which states that every element \(\tau\) of \(\mathrm{Sp}(V)\) can be expressed as \(\tau=\sigma_1\sigma_2\) where \(\sigma_1, \sigma_2\in\mathrm{Sp}(V)\) with \(\sigma_1^2=\sigma_2^2=-1\). This lemma is a consequence of a theorem of \textit{M. J. Wonenburger} [J. Math. Mech. 16, 327--338 (1966; Zbl 0168.03403)].