When do random subsets decompose a finite group?

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Publication:2655780



Abstract: Let A,B be two random subsets of a finite group G. We consider the event that the products of elements from A and B span the whole group; i.e. (AB union BA) = G. The study of this event gives rise to a group invariant we call Theta(G). Theta(G) is between 1/2 and 1, and is 1 if and only if the group is abelian. We show that a phase transition occurs as the size of A and B passes sqrt{Theta(G)|G|log|G|}; i.e. for any c>0, if the size of A and B is less than (1-c)sqrt{Theta(G)|G|log|G|}, then with high probability (AB union BA) does not equal G. If A and B are larger than (1+c)sqrt{Theta(G)|G|log|G|} then (AB union BA) equals G with high probability.


Let \(G\) be a finite group of size \(n\geq 3\). Let \(a_1,a_2,\dots,a_k,b_1,b_2,\dots,b_k\) be \(2k\) random elements chosen independently from \(G\) and let \(A=\{a_1,\dots,a_k\}\) and \(B=\{b_1,\dots,b_k\}\). The author investigates the event \(\{AB\cup BA=G\}\). In particular the study of this event gives rise to a group invariant \(\theta(G)\) defined as the unique solution between \(1/2\) and 1 of the equation \(2\theta\log|G|=\log\sum_{x\in G}\exp(\theta\log|G|\cdot|C_G(x)|/|G|)\). The author shows that a phase transition occurs as the size of \(A\) and \(B\) passes \(\sqrt{\theta(G)|G|\log|G|}\); i.e. for any \(\varepsilon>0\), if the size of \(A\) and \(B\) is less than \((1-\varepsilon)\sqrt{\theta(G)|G|\log|G|}\), then with high probability \(AB\cup BA\neq G\). If \(A\) and \(B\) are larger than \((1+\varepsilon)\sqrt{\theta(G)|G|\log|G|}\), then \(AB\cup BA=G\) with high probability. The invariant \(\theta(G)\) measures, in some sense, how ``Abelian a group is. For example \(\theta(G)=1\) if and only if \(G\) is Abelian and more in general \(\theta(G)\geq 1/(2-R(G)/|G|)>1/2\), \(R(G)\) being the number of conjugacy classes of \(G\). Moreover if \(G\) is a non-Abelian simple group, then \(\theta(G)=1/2+o(|G|)\).











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