Nilpotent covers of symmetric and alternating groups

DOI10.36045/J.BBMS.220218arXiv2005.13869OpenAlexW3153121655MaRDI QIDQ6073797FDOQ6073797

Authors: Nick Gill, Ngwava Arphaxad Kimeu, Ian Short 

Publication date: 18 September 2023

Published in: Bulletin of the Belgian Mathematical Society - Simon Stevin (Search for Journal in Brave)

Abstract: We prove that the symmetric group $S_n$ has a unique minimal cover $mathcalM$ by maximal nilpotent subgroups, and we obtain an explicit and easily computed formula for the order of $mathcalM$. In addition, we prove that the order of $mathcalM$ is equal to the order of a maximal non-nilpotent subset of $S_n$. This cover $mathcalM$ has attractive properties; for instance, it is a normal cover, and the number of conjugacy classes of subgroups in the cover is equal to the number of partitions of $n$ into distinct positive integers. We show that these results contrast with those for the alternating group $A_n$. In particular, we prove that, for all but finitely many values of $n$, no minimal cover of $A_n$ by maximal nilpotent subgroups is a normal cover and the order of a minimal cover of $A_n$ by maximal nilpotent subgroups is strictly greater than the order of a maximal non-nilpotent subset of $A_n$.

Full work available at URL: https://arxiv.org/abs/2005.13869

Recommendations

• SOME REMARKS ON GROUPS WITH NILPOTENT MINIMAL COVERS
• On intersections of nilpotent subgroups in finite symmetric and alternating groups.
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zbMATH Keywords

alternating groupsymmetric groupnilpotent covernon-nilpotent subsetnormal nilpotent cover

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Subgroups of symmetric groups (20B35) Finite nilpotent groups, (p)-groups (20D15)

Cites Work

• Normal coverings and pairwise generation of finite alternating and symmetric groups.
• Normal coverings of finite symmetric and alternating groups.
• Minimal covers of \(S_ n\) by Abelian subgroups and maximal subsets of pairwise noncommuting elements
• Abelian covers of alternating groups
• Minimal covers of \(S_ n\) by abelian subgroups and maximal subsets of pairwise noncommuting elements. II
• Nilpotent covers and non-nilpotent subsets of finite groups of Lie type
• Covering the symmetric groups with proper subgroups.
• Linear bounds for the normal covering number of the symmetric and alternating groups
• On nonnilpotent subsets in general linear groups.

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