Permutation representations of nonsplit extensions involving alternating groups

DOI10.1007/S11856-018-1794-XMaRDI QIDQ1717602zbMATH OpenOpenAlexWikidataFDO

Authors Robert Guralnick, Martin W. Liebeck

Publication date 7 February 2019

Published in Israel Journal of Mathematics (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/1710.10838

zbMATH Keywords

faithful permutation representationnonsplit extensionSpecht module

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

General theory for finite permutation groups (20B05) Representations of finite symmetric groups (20C30) Extensions, wreath products, and other compositions of groups (20E22)

Abstract: L. Babai has shown that a faithful permutation representation of a nonsplit extension of a group by an alternating group $A_k$ must have degree at least $k^2(frac12-o(1))$, and has asked how sharp this lower bound is. We prove that Babai's bound is sharp (up to a constant factor), by showing that there are such nonsplit extensions that have faithful permutation representations of degree $frac32k(k-1)$. We also reprove Babai's quadratic lower bound with the constant $frac12$ improved to 1 (by completely different methods).

Review text

Let \(P(G)\) denote the minimal degree of a faithful permutation representation of a finite group \(G\), and let \(1 \rightarrow M \rightarrow H \rightarrow A_k \rightarrow 1\) be a nonsplit extension of finite groups where \(A_k\) denotes the alternating group of degree \(k\). The main result of the paper shows that \(P(H) \ge k(k-1)\) for \(k > 20\). This improves a result by \textit{L. Babai} [``On the degrees of non-split extensions by an alternating group, Preprint]. The authors also show that \(P(H) \ge k(k-1)(k-2)\) whenever \(k > 22\) and \(\gcd(2k,|M|) = 1\). Now let \(k \ge 10\). Then, for every odd prime \(p\) dividing \(k\), the authors construct a nonsplit extension \(H\) as above where \(M\) is an elementary abelian \(p\)-group and \(P(H) \le \frac{1}{2}pk(k-1)\). They also construct another nonsplit extension \(H\) as above where \(M\) is an elementary abelian \(2\)-group and \(P(H) \le 2k(k-1)\). This answers a question of Babai [loc. cit.].

Recommendations

• Representing the quotient groups of a finite permutation group
• On faithful permutation representations of small degree
• On minimal faithful permutation representations of finite groups
• Representations of the alternating group which are irreducible over subgroups. II.
• Finite permutation groups with large Abelian quotients

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• Cohomology of groups and transfer
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• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 1181204 (Why is no real title available?)
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Cited in

(4)

• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 20331 (Why is no real title available?)
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 1088523 (Why is no real title available?)
• Bounds for finite semiprimitive permutation groups: order, base size, and minimal degree
• Representations of extensions of simple groups

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Uses Software

• Magma

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