Word Measures on GL_N(q) and Free Group Algebras

arXiv2110.11099MaRDI QIDQ6380936FDOQ6380936

Authors: Danielle Ernst-West, Doron Puder, Matan Seidel 

Publication date: 21 October 2021

Abstract: Fix a finite field $K$ of order $q$ and a word $w$ in a free group $F$ on $r$ generators. A $w$-random element in $G{L}_N(K)$ is obtained by sampling $r$ independent uniformly random elements $g_1,ldots,g_{r}inG{L}_N(K)$ and evaluating $wleft(g_1,ldots,g_{r}ight)$. Consider $mathbb{E}_{w}left[mathrmfixight]$, the average number of vectors in $K^N$ fixed by a $w$-random element. We show that $mathbb{E}_{w}left[mathrmfixight]$ is a rational function in $q^N$. Moreover, if $w=u^d$ with $u$ a non-power, then the limit $li{m}_{Noinfty}mathbb{E}_{w}left[mathrmfixight]$ depends only on $d$ and not on $u$. These two phenomena generalize to all stable characters of the groups $left{G{L}_N(K)ight}_N$. A main feature of this work is the connection we establish between word measures on $G{L}_N(K)$ and the free group algebra $Kleft[Fight]$. A classical result of Cohn [1964] and Lewin [1969] is that every one-sided ideal of $Kleft[Fight]$ is a free $Kleft[Fight]$-module with a well-defined rank. We show that for $w$ a non-power, $mathbb{E}_{w}left[mathrmfixight]=2+fracC{q}^N+Oleft(frac1q^{2N}ight)$, where $C$ is the number of rank-2 right ideals $IleKleft[Fight]$ which contain $w-1$ but not as a basis element. We describe a full conjectural picture generalizing this result, featuring a new invariant we call the $q$-primitivity rank of $w$. In the process, we prove several new results about free group algebras. For example, we show that if $T$ is any finite subtree of the Cayley graph of $F$, and $IleKleft[Fight]$ is a right ideal with a generating set supported on $T$, then $I$ admits a basis supported on $T$. We also prove an analogue of Kaplansky's unit conjecture for certain $Kleft[Fight]$-modules.

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Group rings (16S34) Free nonabelian groups (20E05) Combinatorics on words (68R15) Group rings of infinite groups and their modules (group-theoretic aspects) (20C07) Linear algebraic groups over finite fields (20G40) Representations of finite groups of Lie type (20C33) Other matrix groups over finite fields (20H30)

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