Factorizing a finite group into conjugates of a subgroup.

DOI10.1016/J.JALGEBRA.2014.07.012MaRDI QIDQ406354zbMATH OpenOpenAlexFDO

Authors Martino Garonzi, Dan Levy

Publication date 8 September 2014

Published in Journal of Algebra (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/1407.5937

zbMATH Keywords

almost-simple groupsconjugate product coveringscovering problemfinite groupsfinite groups of Lie typeproducts of Sylow subgroupssporadic simple groups

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Finite simple groups and their classification (20D05) Simple groups: alternating groups and groups of Lie type (20D06) Simple groups: sporadic groups (20D08) Products of subgroups of abstract finite groups (20D40) Arithmetic and combinatorial problems involving abstract finite groups (20D60) Conjugacy classes for groups (20E45)

Abstract: For every non-nilpotent finite group $G$, there exists at least one proper subgroup $M$ such that $G$ is the setwise product of a finite number of conjugates of $M$. We define $gamm{a}_{extcp}left(Gight)$ to be the smallest number $k$ such that $G$ is a product, in some order, of $k$ pairwise conjugated proper subgroups of $G$. We prove that if $G$ is non-solvable then $gamm{a}_{extcp}left(Gight)leq36$ while if $G$ is solvable then $gamm{a}_{extcp}left(Gight)$ can attain any integer value bigger than $2$, while, on the other hand, $gamm{a}_{extcp}left(Gight)leq4lo{g}_{2}leftvertGightvert$.

Review text

A non-nilpotent finite group \(G\) contains a proper subgroup \(H\) of \(G\) and \(k\) conjugates \(H_1,\ldots,H_k\) of \(H\) in \(G\) such that \(G\) equals the product \(H_1\cdots H_k\). Let \(\gamma_{cp}(G)\) be the smallest \(k\) for which there exists a proper subgroup \(H\) of \(G\) with this property.NEWLINENEWLINE In the paper under review, the authors prove that if \(G\) is non-solvable then \(\gamma_{cp}(G)\) is bounded by a constant, namely \(\gamma_{cp}(G)\leq 36\). This is done by reducing the problem to almost-simple groups and then by treating such groups separately using the classification of finite simple groups. They show that \(\gamma_{cp}(G)=3\) for all \(2\)-transitive groups \(G\), in particular for the alternating and symmetric groups. For groups of Lie type they use [\textit{M. W. Liebeck} and \textit{L. Pyber}, Duke Math. J. 107, No. 1, 159-171 (2001; Zbl 1017.20039)] where it is shown that any finite simple group of Lie type in characteristic \(p\) is a product of at most \(25\) of its Sylow \(p\)-subgroups.NEWLINENEWLINE The bound \(36\) comes from one of the sporadic almost-simple groups: using a general argument involving the rank of a transitive permutation representation the authors prove that if \(G\) is any almost-simple sporadic group then \(\gamma_{cp}(G)\leq\gamma_{cp}(\Aut(O'N))\leq 36\). The authors also prove that \(\gamma_{cp}(G)\) is unbounded for \(G\) ranging in the family of solvable non-nilpotent groups: for instance for \(p\) an odd prime, denoting \(D_{2p}\) the dihedral group of order \(2p\), \(\gamma_{cp}(D_{2p})=1+\lceil\log_2p\rceil\). They also prove the upper bound \(\gamma_{cp}(G)\leq 4\log_2|G|\) for \(G\) any solvable non-nilpotent group.

Recommendations

• Factorizations of finite groups by conjugate subgroups which are solvable or nilpotent
• Groups equal to a product of three conjugate subgroups
• On the length of finite factorized groups.
• Lower bounds on conjugacy classes of non-nilpotent subgroups in a finite group.
• Covers and normal covers of finite groups.

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Cited in

(5)

• Products of Sylow subgroups in Suzuki and Ree groups
• Factorizations of finite groups by conjugate subgroups which are solvable or nilpotent
• Primitive permutation groups as products of point stabilizers
• Groups equal to a product of three conjugate subgroups
• Conjugate factorizations of finite groups

Describes a project that uses

Uses Software

• CTblLib
• ATLAS Group Representations
• GAP
• mfer

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