Some properties of the probabilistic zeta function of finite simple groups. (Q706074)

Let \(R\) denote the ring of all Dirichlet polynomials of the form \(f(s):=\sum_{n=1}^\infty a_nn^{-s}\) where the coefficients \(a_n\) are integers and only finitely many are nonzero. This is a unique factorization domain. If \(G\) is a finite group, then the Möbius function \(\mu_G\) is defined inductively on the subgroups of \(G\) by \(\mu_G(G):=1\) and \(\sum_{H\leq K\leq G}\mu_G(K)=0\) for all \(H<G\). Attached to \(G\) we have the Dirichlet polynomial defined by \(P_G(s):=\sum_{H\leq G}\mu_G(H)|G:H|^{-s}\); for integer \(s>0\), \(P_G(s)\) is the probability that a random \(s\)-tuple of elements from \(G\) generates \(G\). It is easily shown that for each normal subgroup \(N\) of \(G\), \(P_{G/N}(s)\) divides \(P_G(s)\) and that \(P_{G/N}(s)=P_G(s)\) if \(N\leq\text{Frat}(G)\). Thus a necessary condition for \(P_G(s)\) to be irreducible in \(R\) is that \(G/\text{Frat}(G)\) is simple. In the present paper the authors consider the converse: if \(G\) is simple, does this imply that \(P_G(s)\) is irreducible? They show that this is true when \(G\) is an alternating group, and when \(G=\text{PSL}(2,p)\) except when \(p\) is a Mersenne prime of the form \(2^{t}-1\) with \(t\equiv 3\pmod 4\). In the exceptional case, \(P_G(s)\) is reducible. They also prove that, even in the exceptional case, if \(G\) is a finite group with \(P_G(s)=P_{\text{PSL}(2,p)}(s)\) for some prime \(p\geq 5\), then \(G/\text{Frat}(G)\) is simple.