Irreducible linear subgroups generated by pairs of matrices with large irreducible submodules. (Q766089)

An element \(g\) of \(\mathrm{GL}(d,q)\) is said to be `fat' if it fixes a subspace of dimension \(e\) greater than \(d/2\) and the action is irreducible or, equivalently, if the characteristic polynomial for \(g\) has an irreducible factor over \(\mathbb F_q\) of degree \(e\). In the paper under review, the authors prove that for a group \(G\) with \(\mathrm{SL}(d,q)\leq G\leq\mathrm{GL}(d,q)\), most pairs of fat elements from \(G\) generate irreducible subgroups. Precisely, they give an explicit upper bound for the proportion of reducible fat pairs in the set of all pairs in \(G\times G\). Moreover, they show that any reducible subgroup generated by a pair of fat elements acts irreducibly on a subspace of dimension greater than \(d/2\), and the generating pair (in the induced action) is a pair of fat elements.