Generating sets of conjugate involutions of groups \(\mathrm{PSL}_n (9)\) (Q6597845)

Let \(G\) be a non-abelian finite simple group. \textit{G. Malle} et al. [Geom. Dedicata 49, No. 1, 85--116 (1994; Zbl 0832.20029)] showed that if \(G\not \simeq \mathrm{PSU}_{3}(3)\), then \(G\) is generated by three involutions. Recall that \(\mathrm{PSU}_{3}(3)\) is a true exception in that since \textit{A. Wagner} [Boll. Unione Mat. Ital., V. Ser., A 15, 431--439 (1978; Zbl 0401.20038)] proved that at least four involutions are necessary to generate it.\N\NThe paper under review deals with the following problem, closely related to the one mentioned above: for every \(G\), find \(n_{c}(G)\), the minimum number of generators of conjugate involutions whose product equals to identity (see [\textit{V. D. Mazurov} (ed.) and \textit{E. I. Khukhro} (ed.), The Kourovka notebook. Unsolved problems in group theory. 18th edition. Novosibirsk: Institute of Mathematics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Siberian Div. (2014; Zbl 1372.20001), Question 14.69c]).\N\NThe main result is Theorem 1: \begin{enumerate}\item[a.] The special linear group \(\mathrm{SL}_{n}(9)\) of dimension \(n \geq 9\) over a field of size \(9\) is generated by three conjugate involutions \(\alpha\), \(\beta\), \(\gamma\) and the product \(\alpha \beta\) is also an involution, which is conjugate to \(\alpha\). \N\item[b.] The projective special linear group \(\mathrm{PSL}_{6}(9)\) of dimension \(6\) over a field of size \(9\) is generated by three conjugate involutions \(\alpha\), \(\beta\), \(\gamma\) and the product \(\alpha \beta\) is also an involution, which is conjugate to \(\alpha\).\end{enumerate}\N\NIn [\textit{J. M. Ward}, Generation of simple groups by conjugate involutions. London: Queen Mary College, University of London (PhD Thesis) (2009)] it was shown that the following statements are equivalent: \begin{enumerate}\item[(i)] a group \(G\) is generated by three conjugate involutions \(\alpha\), \(\beta\), \(\gamma\) and the product \(\alpha\beta\) is also an involution and it is conjugate to \(\alpha\); \item[(ii)] a group \(G\) is generated by conjugate involutions \(\alpha\), \(\beta\), \(\gamma\), \(\delta\), \(\epsilon\) two of which coincide and \(\alpha \beta \gamma \delta \epsilon =1\).\end{enumerate} Therefore, it follows from Theorem 1 that \(n_{c}(\mathrm{SL}_{n}(9))=n_{c}(\mathrm{PSL}_{n}(9))=5=n_{c}(\mathrm{PSL}_{6}(9))\) for all \(n \geq 9\).