Overgroup coset complexes in finite groups (Q6496986)

Let \(G\) be a finite group and \(X\) a subgroup of \(G\). \textit{A. Lucchini}, in [J. Group Theory 8, No. 2, 171--188 (2005; Zbl 1090.20038)] (see also [\textit{E. Detomi} and \textit{A. Lucchini}, J. Algebra 265, No. 2, 651--668 (2003; Zbl 1072.20031)]) introduced the probability \(P_{G}(X,s)=\sum_{X \leq H \leq G} \mu(G,H) \cdot |G:H|^{-s}\) where \(\mu\) is the Möbius function associated with the subgroup lattice of \(G\). The number \(P_{G}(X,s)\) is the probability that \(s\) randomly chosen elements generate \(G\) together with the subgroup \(X\). If \(X=1\), then set \(P_{G}(s)= P_{G}(1,s)\). If \(X=1\), then set \(P_{G}(s)=P_{G}(1,s)\). A topological interpretation of P was provided by \textit{K. S. Brown} in [J. Algebra 225, No. 2, 989--1012 (2000; Zbl 0973.20016)]: \(-P_{G}(-1)\) coincides the reduced Euler characteristic of the simplicial complex \(\Delta \mathcal{C}(G)\), where \(\mathcal{C}(G)\) is the coset poset consisting of proper cosets \(Hx\) (\(H< G, x\in G\)) ordered by inclusion, and \(\Delta \mathcal{C}(G)\) is the simplicial complex associated with the poset \(\mathcal{C}(G)\) whose simplices are the finite chains in \(\mathcal{C}(G)\).NEWLINENEWLINEThe aim of the paper under review is to investigate an analogue of the poset \(\mathcal{C}(G)\), that is \( \mathcal{C}_{X}(G)=\{ Hx \mid X \leq H < G, x \in G \}\). The main result is Theorem A: Let \(G\) be a group and let \(X\) be a subgroup of \(G\). Suppose that (1) \(N_{G}(X)\) contains a Sylow 2-subgroup and a Sylow 3-subgroup of G; or (2) \(N_{G}(X)\) contains a Sylow 2-subgroup of \(G\) and \(G\) does not have \(A_{7}\) as a composition factor. Then \(\Delta \mathcal{C}_{X}(G)\) is not \(\mathbb{F}_{2}\)-acyclic, and hence is not contractible.NEWLINENEWLINEThe authors also give some divisibility properties of the Euler characteristic of \(\mathcal{C}_{X}(G)\) when \(X\) is a \(p\)-group.