Simple groups, permutation groups, and probability (Q1126712)

This paper surveys recent results in group theory which have been obtained by `probabilistic methods' (which really means counting arguments). The prototype for these is Dixon's conjecture that (as the order of the group tends to infinity) almost all pairs of elements in a simple group actually generate the group. Naturally, this is intimately connected with the subgroup structure of the group, and especially the maximal subgroups. Thus the proofs rely on deep knowledge of maximal subgroups, and ultimately on the classification theorem for finite simple groups. Indeed, the methods may also be applied to proving cases of Wall's conjecture, that the number of maximal subgroups of a (finite) group is less than the order of the group. This bound is attained for elementary abelian 2-groups, while at the other extreme, for simple groups, the bound appears to be very weak, but also very hard to prove. A number of other related results and conjectures are discussed.