Word Measures on GL_N(q) and Free Group Algebras

MaRDI QIDQ6380936zbMATH OpenFDO

Authors Danielle Ernst-West, Doron Puder, Matan Seidel

Publication date 21 October 2021

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)

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.

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