The essential ideal in group cohomology does not square to zero.

DOI10.1016/J.JPAA.2004.03.007MaRDI QIDQ1877759zbMATH OpenOpenAlexFDO

Authors David J. Green

Publication date 19 August 2004

Published in Journal of Pure and Applied Algebra (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/math/0302336

zbMATH Keywords

cohomology classescohomology ringsessential cohomologyfinite \(p\)-groupsSylow 2-subgroupsunitary groups

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Finite nilpotent groups, (p)-groups (20D15) Cohomology of groups (20J06) Finite transformation groups (57S17)

Abstract: Let G be the Sylow 2-subgroup of the unitary group $S{U}_3(4)$. We find two essential classes in the mod-2 cohomology ring of G whose product is nonzero. In fact, the product is the ``last survivor of Benson-Carlson duality. Recent work of Pakianathan and Yalcin then implies a result about connected graphs with an action of G. Also, there exist essential classes which cannot be written as sums of transfers from proper subgroups. This phenomenon was first observed on the computer. The argument given here uses the elegant calculation by J. Clark, with minor corrections.

Review text

Let \(G\) be a finite group and \(k\) a field of characteristic \(p\). A class \(x\) in the cohomology ring \(H^*(G,k)\) is called essential if its restriction to every proper subgroup is zero. The essential classes in \(H^*(G,k)\) form an ideal, called the essential ideal \(\text{Ess}(G)\). If the group \(G\) is elementary Abelian, then the product of the Bocksteins of all nonzero elements of \(H^1\) is a non-nilpotent essential class. But in all remaining cases that could be calculated, the pattern that emerged seemed to be that every product of essential classes was zero. This led to the Essential Conjecture: Let \(G\) be a finite \(p\)-group which is not elementary Abelian, then \(\text{Ess}(G)^2=0\). \textit{P. A. Minh} showed [in Bull. Lond. Math. Soc. 32, No. 3, 285-291 (2000; Zbl 1021.20038)] that if \(x\) is essential then \(x^p=0\) (assuming \(G\) is not elementary Abelian). In this paper the author disproves the Essential Conjecture. He proves the following: Let \(G_0\) be a Sylow 2-subgroup of the finite unitary group \(\text{SU}_3(4)\). Then there are essential classes in \(H^4(G_0,\mathbb{F}_2)\) and \(H^{10}(G_0,\mathbb{F}_2)\) whose product is nonzero. This nonzero element of \(H^{14}(G_0,\mathbb{F}_2)\) is the last survivor in the sense of \textit{D. J. Benson} and \textit{J. F. Carlson} [Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 342, No. 2, 447-488 (1994; Zbl 0816.20044)]. A very interesting corollary concerning \(G_0\) comes from the work of \textit{J. Pakianathan} and \textit{E. Yalçin} [Topology 42, No. 5, 1155-1183 (2003; Zbl 1047.20041)] where they showed that if the essential cohomology conjecture is not true for a \(p\)-group \(G\), then for any connected \(G\)-graph \(X\) the following is true: \(X\) has a fixed point if and only if the map \(H^*_G(pt)\to H^*_G(X)\) is injective. The fact that \(\text{Ess}(G_0 )^2\) in nonzero for this group \(G_0\) was first observed using the author's computer program [Gröbner bases and the computation of group cohomology, (Lect. Notes Math. 1828) (2003; Zbl 1050.20036)]. The argument presented here uses \textit{J. Clark}'s spectral sequence calculation [Commun. Algebra 22, No. 4, 1419-1434 (1994; Zbl 0804.20036)].

Recommendations

• Essential cohomology of finite groups
• On nilpotent ideals in the cohomology ring of a finite group.
• Essential cohomology and extraspecial p-groups
• Primitives and central detection numbers in group cohomology.
• Essential cohomology for elementary Abelian \(p\)-groups.

Cites work

• Essential mod-p Cohomology Classes of p -Groups: An Upper Bound For Nilpotency Degrees
• Gröbner bases and the computation of group cohomology.
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 3933295 (Why is no real title available?)
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 51218 (Why is no real title available?)
• Mod-2 cohomology of the group U3(4)
• On nilpotent ideals in the cohomology ring of a finite group.
• Projective Resolutions and Poincare Duality Complexes
• The restriction map in cohomology of finite 2-groups
• Transformation groups

Cited in

(7)

• Primitives and central detection numbers in group cohomology.
• Essential cohomology and extraspecial p-groups
• The Nilpotent filtration and the action of automorphisms on the cohomology of finite p-groups
• Productive elements in group cohomology.
• The essential ideal is a Cohen–Macaulay module
• On essential cohomology of powerful p -groups
• Examples of descent up to nilpotence

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