Invariable generation and the Chebotarev invariant of a finite group. (Q411769)

Let \(G\) be a finite group. A subset \(S\subseteq G\) is said to invariably generate \(G\) if \(\{g(s)^{-1}sg(s)\mid s\in S\}\) generates \(G\) for all choices of \(g(s)\in G\). The concept originally arose in a computational question of determining when the Galois group of a polynomial in \(\mathbb Z[X]\) is equal to the full symmetric group [see \textit{J. D. Dixon}, Discrete Math. 105, No. 1-3, 25-39 (1992; Zbl 0756.60010)]. Let \(P_I(G,k)\) be the probability that \(k\) randomly chosen elements of \(G\) invariably generate \(G\). The Chebotarev invariant \(C(G)\) can be defined as follows. For each sequence \(s_1,s_2,\dots\) of randomly and independently chosen elements of \(G\), let \(n\) be the least index such that \(\{s_1,\dots,s_n\}\) invariably generates \(G\); then \(C(G)\) is the expected value of \(n\). The main results of this paper are the following. (Theorem 1.1): \(G\) is invariably generated by some set of size \(\log_2|G|\). This bound is attained when \(G\) is an elementary Abelian \(2\)-group. (Theorem 1.2): For some absolute constant \(c>0\) we have \(C(G)\leq c|G|^{1/2}(\log|G|)^{1/2}\) for all \(G\). It is believed that this bound is not best possible, but there is an infinite family of groups for which \(C(G)\) is asymptotic to \(|G|^{1/2}\). (Theorem 1.3): Every nonabelian finite simple group is invariably generated by two elements. Other interesting, easily stated, results are the following. (Corollary 4.2): \(C(G)=O(\log|G|\log\log|G|)\) when \(G\) is almost simple. (Corollary 5.7): There is an absolute constant \(\varepsilon>0\) such that \(P_I(G,k)\leq 1-\varepsilon^k\) for all \(k\) and all finite simple groups \(G\).