Generating sets of finite groups

Abstract: We investigate the extent to which the exchange relation holds in finite groups

G

. We define a new equivalence relation

e q u i v_{m a t h r m m}

, where two elements are equivalent if each can be substituted for the other in any generating set for

G

. We then refine this to a new sequence

e q u i v_{m a t h r m m}^{(r)}

of equivalence relations by saying that

x e q u i v_{m a t h r m m}^{(r)} y

if each can be substituted for the other in any

r

-element generating set. The relations

e q u i v_{m a t h r m m}^{(r)}

become finer as

r

increases, and we define a new group invariant

p s i (G)

to be the value of

r

at which they stabilise to

e q u i v_{m a t h r m m}

. Remarkably, we are able to prove that if

G

is soluble then

p s i (G) i n d (G), d (G) + 1

, where

d (G)

is the minimum number of generators of

G

, and to classify the finite soluble groups

G

for which

p s i (G) = d (G)

. For insoluble

G

, we show that

d (G) l e q p s i (G) l e q d (G) + 5

. However, we know of no examples of groups

G

for which

p s i (G) > d (G) + 1

. As an application, we look at the generating graph of

G

, whose vertices are the elements of

G

, the edges being the

2

-element generating sets. Our relation

e q u i v_{m a t h r m m}^{(2)}

enables us to calculate

m a t h r m A u t (G a m m a (G))

for all soluble groups

G

of nonzero spread, and give detailed structural information about

m a t h r m A u t (G a m m a (G))

in the insoluble case.

Cites Work

Cited In (11)

Uses Software

Recommendations

This page was built for publication: Generating sets of finite groups