Covering and growth for group subsets and representations (Q6064570)

The paper is the written version of the author's contribution at the 8th ECM. It surveys problems in finite group theory related to products of subsets (such as the Thompson conjecture) and growth. We get here a quite lively and complete account by a key contributor to the field. The theories and results stated and often thoroughly explained are by Breuillard, Gill, Gowers, Green, Helfgott, Hrushovski, Larsen, Liebeck, Maroti, Nikolov, Pyber, Selke, Short, Szabo, Tao, Tiep. We refer to the very good abstract and introductions of the sections for more specific information. The groups involved are finite simple groups, especially of Lie type and their representations. The survey closes on applications to characters of compact semisimple Lie groups. For the entire collection see [Zbl 1519.00033].