Factorization into Symmetries and Transvections of Given Conjugacy Classes

DOI10.4153/CMB-1992-053-5MaRDI QIDQ4024820zbMATH OpenFDO

Authors Frieder Knüppel

Publication date 16 February 1993

Published in Canadian Mathematical Bulletin (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://doi.org/10.4153/CMB-1992-053-5

zbMATH Keywords

conjugacy classgenerated by reflectionsgeneratorsorthogonal groupsymplectic factorizationsymplectic groupstransvections

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Factorization of matrices (15A23) Generators, relations, and presentations of groups (20F05) Linear algebraic groups over arbitrary fields (20G15) Reflection groups, reflection geometries (51F15) Congruence and orthogonality in metric geometry (51F20)

Review text

The orthogonal group \(O\) and the symplectic group \(Sp\) are generated by reflections and transvections, respectively. Let \(G\) be a subgroup of \(O\) or \(Sp\) which is generated by elements in one conjugacy class \(C\) of generators of \(O\) or \(Sp\). For \(\pi\) in \(G\) let \(l(\pi)\) be the minimal number of factors in \(C\) needed to express \(\pi\). The reviewer and \textit{J. Malzan} have determined \(l(\pi)\) if the underlying field is finite [Geom. Dedicata 36, 279-285 (1990; Zbl 0714.20015) and Linear Algebra Appl. 146, 121-132 (1991; Zbl 0718.20022)]. The author of the paper under review generalizes this approach. He allows orthogonal and symplectic groups over any field \(K\). He gives a condition under which a group element can be factored into a small number of generators, where some of the generators may be chosen in given conjugacy classes. These conditions involve the \(u\)-invariant \(u(K)\), which is the smallest positive integer \(k\) such that every \(k\)-dimensional nonsingular quadratic form over \(K\) is universal.

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Cited in

(9)

• Products of symmetries in unitary groups
• On 2-factorizations with some symmetry
• Bijections and symmetries for the factorizations of the long cycle
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 16848 (Why is no real title available?)
• Conjugacy classes of symmetries in orthogonal groups
• Products of reflections in one conjugacy class in the orthogonal group overGF(3)
• Products of transvections in one conjugacy class of the symplectic group over the \(p\)-adic numbers
• Positive definite functions of finitary isometry groups over fields of odd characteristic.
• Transfer factors for the classical groups: a formulary

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