Dixon's asymptotic without the classification of finite simple groups (Q6541391)

Let \(p_{n}\) be the probability of the event that a pair of random permutations of a set of \(n\) elements (chosen with uniform probability from the \((n!)^{2}\) cases) generates the alternating group \(A_{n}\) or the symmetric group \(S_{n}\). \textit{J. D. Dixon} [Math. Z. 110, 199--205 (1969; Zbl 0176.29901)] proved that \(p_{n}>1-2(\ln\ln n)^{-2}\). \textit{L. Babai} [J. Comb. Theory, Ser. A 52, No. 1, 148--153 (1989; Zbl 0685.60012)] has improved Dixon's bound to \(p_{n}=1-n^{-1}-O(n^{-2})\), but its proof depends on consequences of the classification of the finite simple groups (CFSG).\N\NIn the paper under review, the author gives a CFSG-free proof of the following result (Theorem 1): Let \(G\) be the subgroup of \(S_{n}\) generated by two random elements. The probability that \(G\) is contained in a primitive subgroup of \(S_{n}\) smaller than \(A_{n}\) is bounded by \(\exp(-c \sqrt{n \ln n})\) for some \(c>0\). This improves the results obtained by the author and \textit{S.-C. Virchow} in [Combinatorica 39, No. 2, 273--288 (2019; Zbl 1438.20003)].\N\NBy combining Theorem 1 with the results of [\textit{J. D. Dixon}, Electron. J. Comb. 12, No. 1, Research paper R56, 5 p. (2005; Zbl 1086.20045)], the author proves Corollary 2: The probability that two random elements of \(A_{n}\) generate the group is\N\[\Np^{\ast}_{A_{n}}=1-\frac{1}{n}-\frac{1}{n^{2}}-\frac{4}{n^{3}}-\frac{23}{n^{4}}-\frac{171}{n^{5}}-\frac{1542}{n^{6}}-\ldots\N\]\NThe same asymptotic expansion is valid for the probability that two random elements of \(S_{n}\) generate at least \(A_{n}\).\N\NFor the coefficients in the asymptotic expansion of \(p^{\ast}_{n}\) see sequence A113869 in [\textit{J. Sloane}, The on-line encyclopedia of integer sequences, \url{http://oeis.org}].\N\NThe reviewer remark that if \((x,y)\) is a pair of permutations generating \(A_{n}\) or \(S_{n}\), then, since \(\frac{3}{4}\) of all such pairs contain at least one even permutation, the probability of generating \(S_{n}\) is roughly \(\frac{3}{4}p_{n}\). The same argument applied to Corollary 2 shows that the probability that two random elements of \(S_{n}\) generate \(S_{n}\) is \(p^{\ast}_{S_{n}}=\frac{3}{4}p^{\ast}_{A_{n}}\). Moreover Dixon [loc. cit.] proves that \(p_{A_{n}}^{\ast}\) is also the probability that a random pair of elements from \(S_{n}\) generates a transitive group.