Varieties of elements of given order in simple algebraic groups (Q1643183)

\textit{R. M. Guralnick} [Proc. Am. Math. Soc. 135, No. 3, 689--693 (2007; Zbl 1112.20040)] proved that for a conjugacy class $C$ in a connected reductive group $G$ over an algebraically closed field and a positive integer $n$, the variety $G_{[n]} := \{g \in G : g^n \in C\}$ is a union of finitely many conjugacy classes. The key fact here is the finiteness of the number of unipotent conjugacy classes. In the paper under review, the author considers these varieties when $C$ is the trivial class. Modestly, he says, ``we are merely interested in the dimension of $G_{[n]}$ for every positive integer $n$.'' About 15 years ago, \textit{R. Lawther} [Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 357, No. 1, 221--245 (2005; Zbl 1096.20038)] obtained these dimensions for $G$ of adjoint type and also showed that this is a lower bound for general $G$. \par In the present paper, the author completely determines the dimensions in all cases thereby completing Lawther's results [loc. cit.]. This requires a detailed case-by-case study of centralizers of elements. Using these results, the author also makes progress towards a conjecture on triangle groups that he made 9 years back. Since the appearance of this paper, \textit{S. Jambor} et al. [Isr. J. Math. 227, No. 1, 131--162 (2018; Zbl 06976573)] has completely solved, the conjecture. The conjecture alluded to asserts: \par Conjecture: Let $G$ be a simple algebraic defined over an algebraically closed field of positive characteristic $p$. Let $a,b,c$ be positive integers such that the dimensions of $G_{[a]}, G_{[b]}, G_{[c]}$ sum to $2 \dim(G)$. Then, only finitely many quasisimple groups $G(p^r)$ are finite quotients of the triangle group $T_{a,b,c}$.