The Margulis-Platonov conjecture for \(\text{SL}_{1,D}\) and 2-generation of finite simple groups. (Q811844)

Let \(K\) be a global field, \(G\) a simple simply connected algebraic group defined over \(K\), and \(A\) the set of all nonarchimedean valuations \(v\) of \(K\), such that \(G\) is anisotropic over the completion \(K_v\) of \(K\) with respect to the topology of \(v\). It is known that \(A\) is finite [see e.g. Sect. 9.1 of \textit{V. P. Platonov} and \textit{A. S. Rapinchuk}'s book Algebraic groups and number theory. Moscow: Nauka (1991; Zbl 0732.20027)]. Denote by \(G(L)\) the group of rational points of \(G\) over an arbitrary extension \(L\) of \(K\), and by \(G_A\) the topological group product \(\prod G(K_v)\), indexed by \(A\). Also, let \(\delta\colon G(K)\to G_A\) be the diagonal map. The Margulis-Platonov conjecture states that for any noncentral normal subgroup \(H\) of \(G(K)\) there exists an open normal subgroup \(W\) of \(G_A\) whose pre-image in \(G(K)\) coincides with \(H\); in particular, if \(A\) is empty, then \(H\) does not possess proper noncentral normal subgroups. This conjecture has been proved in a number of cases including the one of \(G=\text{SL}_1(D)\), where \(D\) is a finite-dimensional central division \(K\)-algebra. The proofs of the obtained results rely heavily on the classification of finite simple groups [see \textit{Y. Segev} and \textit{G. M. Seitz}, Pac. J. Math. 202, No. 1, 125-225 (2002; Zbl 1058.20015)]. The paper under review gives a new (considerably shorter) proof of the Margulis-Platonov conjecture, for \(G=\text{SL}_1(D)\), in which the use of this classification is limited to its consequence that finite simple groups are generated by two elements.