Groups generated by derangements

DOI10.1016/J.JALGEBRA.2020.12.020MaRDI QIDQ2222003zbMATH OpenOpenAlexFDO

Authors R. A. Bailey, Peter J. Cameron, Michael Giudici, Gordon Royle

Publication date 3 February 2021

Published in Journal of Algebra (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/2004.01950

zbMATH Keywords

derangementFrobenius grouplinear grouppermutation group

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

General theory for finite permutation groups (20B05) Primitive groups (20B15) Special subgroups (Frattini, Fitting, etc.) (20D25) Arithmetic and combinatorial problems involving abstract finite groups (20D60)

Abstract: We examine the subgroup $D(G)$ of a transitive permutation group $G$ which is generated by the derangements in $G$. Our main results bound the index of this subgroup: we conjecture that, if $G$ has degree $n$ and is not a Frobenius group, then $|G:D(G)|leqslantsqrtn-1$; we prove this except when $G$ is a primitive affine group. For affine groups, we translate our conjecture into an equivalent form regarding $|H:R(H)|$, where $H$ is a linear group on a finite vector space and $R(H)$ is the subgroup of $H$ generated by elements having eigenvalue~$1$. If $G$ is a Frobenius group, then $D(G)$ is the Frobenius kernel, and so $G/D(G)$ is isomorphic to a Frobenius complement. We give some examples where $D(G)eG$, and examine the group-theoretic structure of $G/D(G)$; in particular, we construct groups $G$ in which $G/D(G)$ is not a Frobenius complement.

Review text

Jordan proved in 1872 that a finite transitive permutation group of degree \(n > 1\) must contain a derangement (an element with no fixed point). Let \(G\) be a transitive permutation group of degree \(n > 1\). Let \(D(G)\) be the (normal) subgroup of \(G\) generated by all derangements in \(G\). It was proved by \textit{H. Zantema} [Manuscr. Math. 40, 155--203 (1982; Zbl 0505.12003)] that \(D(G)\) is transitive and it contains every element of \(G\) whose number of fixed points is different from \(1\). In the present paper, the authors extend these ideas to show that if \(r_G\) and \(r_{D(G)}\) denote the permutation ranks of \(G\) and \(D(G)\) respectively then \(r_{D(G)} - 1 = (r_{G}-1) |G:D(G)|\). In Theorem 1.1 they also show that the \(D(G)\)-orbits on ordered pairs of distinct elements are permuted semiregularly by \(G/D(G)\). Observe that any Frobenius group \(G\) gives an example where \(D(G) \not= G\) since \(D(G)\) is the Frobenius kernel and \(G/D(G)\) is isomorphic to the Frobenius complement. Corollary 1.2 states that if \(G\) is any transitive permutation group of degree \(n > 1\) then \(|G:D(G)|\) divides \(n-1\) and equality is possible if and only if \(n\) is a prime power. Corollary 1.3 continues to investigate the situation when \(D(G) \not= G\) by establishing that in this case if \(H\) is a point stabilizer acting on the remaining points then at least half of the elements of \(H\) are derangements, in particular, \(D(H) = H\). Theorems 1.4 and 1.5 concern stronger upper bounds on the index of \(D(G)\) in \(G\) as that of Corollary 1.2. It is proved that if \(G\) is any transitive imprimitive permutation group of degree \(n\), then \(|G:D(G)| \leq \sqrt{n}-1\) and equality is possible if \(n\) is an even power of a prime. Moreover, if \(G\) is a primitive permutation group of degree \(n\) which is not of affine type, then \(|G:D(G)| \leq \sqrt{n}-1\). It is then conjectured that if \(G\) is a primitive permutation group of degree \(n\) which is not a Frobenius group, then \(|G:D(G)| \leq \sqrt{n}-1\), moreover this bound is attained only if \(G\) is an affine group. The only remaining case of Conjecture 1 is when \(G\) is an affine primitive permutation group. In the affine case the conjecture is translated to an equivalent form regarding the index \(|H:R(H)|\) where \(H\) is a linear group on a finite vector space and \(R(H)\) is the subgroup of \(H\) generated by elements having eigenvalue \(1\). An interesting question in the paper is the following. Which groups can arise as \(G/D(G)\) for some transitive permutation group \(G\)?

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Cited in

(13)

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• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 1981750 (Why is no real title available?)
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 1560264 (Why is no real title available?)
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Uses Software

• Magma

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