Probabilistic generation of finite simple groups (Q1841851)

It is well known that any finite group \(G\) can be generated by two elements and the probability that two elements generate \(G\) approaches 1 as the order of \(G\) goes to infinity. The paper under review deals with a more specific problem. As the main result the authors prove that for each finite almost simple group \(G\) there exists a conjugacy class \(C\) such that for any \(1\neq g\in G\) there are at least \(|C|/10\) members \(u\in C\) such that \(\langle u,g\rangle\) contains the socle of \(G\). As a corollary one has: If \(G\) is a finite almost simple group and \(1\neq g\in G\) then there is some \(u\in G\) such that \(\langle u,g\rangle\) contains the socle of \(G\). For \(G\) simple this result was shown independently by \textit{A. Stein} [Beitr. Algebra Geom. 39, No.~2, 349-358 (1998; Zbl 0924.20027)]. The proof of the main result is based on the classification of finite simple groups. A typical argument in the proof goes as follows: Suppose \(x\) is contained in at most two maximal subgroups of the simple group \(G\) and \(1\neq g\in G\). Then by a result of the first author [Algebraic groups and their representations, NATO ASI Ser., Ser. C, Math. Phys. Sci. 517, 301-320 (1998; see the preceding review Zbl 0973.20011)] \(G=\langle x,g^y\rangle\) for a suitably chosen \(y\in G\). For more details of the proof and further consequences of the main theorem the reader is refered to the paper itself.