A geometric approach to Quillen's conjecture

We introduce {\em admissible collections} for a finite group $G$ and use them to prove that most of the finite classical groups in non-defining characteristic satisfy the {\em Quillen dimension at $p$ property}, a strong version of Quillen's conjecture, at a given odd prime divisor $p$ of $|G|$. Compared to the methods in \cite{AS1993}, our techniques are simpler.Comment: First Author supported by MEC grant MTM2016-78647-P and Junta de Andaluc\'ia grant FQM-21

Dense normal subgroups and chief factors in locally compact groups

In 'The essentially chief series of a compactly generated locally compact group', an analogue of chief series for finite groups is discovered for compactly generated locally compact groups. In the present article, we show that chief factors necessarily exist in all locally compact groups with sufficiently rich topological structure. We also show that chief factors have one of seven types, and for all but one of these types, there is a decomposition into discrete groups, compact groups, and topologically simple groups. Our results for chief factors require exploring the theory developed in 'Chief factors in Polish groups' in the setting of locally compact groups. In this context, we obtain tighter restrictions on the factorization of normal compressions and the structure of quasi-products. Consequently, both (non-)amenability and elementary decomposition rank are preserved by normal compressions

The Cayley isomorphism property for the group C25×CpC^5_2\times C_p

A finite group $G$ is called a DCI-group if two Cayley digraphs over $G$ are isomorphic if and only if their connection sets are conjugate by a group automorphism. We prove that the group $C_2^5\times C_p$, where $p$ is a prime, is a DCI-group if and only if $p\neq 2$. Together with the previously obtained results, this implies that a group $G$ of order $32p$, where $p$ is a prime, is a DCI-group if and only if $p\neq 2$ and $G\cong C_2^5\times C_p$.Comment: 19 pages. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:2003.08118, arXiv:1912.0883

Elementary Abelian p-groups of rank 2p+3 are not CI-groups

For every prime $p > 2$ we exhibit a Cayley graph of $\mathbb{Z}_p^{2p+3}$ which is not a CI-graph. This proves that an elementary Abelian $p$-group of rank greater than or equal to $2p+3$ is not a CI-group. The proof is elementary and uses only multivariate polynomials and basic tools of linear algebra. Moreover, we apply our technique to give a uniform explanation for the recent works concerning the bound.Comment: 11 page

The Cayley isomorphism property for Cayley maps

In this paper we study finite groups which have Cayley isomorphism property with respect to Cayley maps, CIM-groups for a brief. We show that the structure of the CIM-groups is very restricted. It is described in Theorem~\ref{111015a} where a short list of possible candidates for CIM-groups is given. Theorem~\ref{111015c} provides concrete examples of infinite series of CIM-groups

On the Cohomology of Central Frattini Extensions

We use topological methods to compute the mod p cohomology of certain p-groups. More precisely we look at central Frattini extensions of elementary abelian by elementary abelian groups such that their defining k-invariants span the entire image of the Bockstein. We show that if p is sufficiently large, then the mod p cohomology of the extension can be explicitly computed as an algebra

C-loops: extensions and constructions

C-loops are loops satisfying the identity $x(y\cdot yz) = (xy\cdot y)z$. We develop the theory of extensions of C-loops, and characterize all nuclear extensions provided the nucleus is an abelian group. C-loops with central squares have very transparent extensions; they can be built from small blocks arising from the underlying Steiner triple system. Using these extensions, we decide for which abelian groups $K$ and Steiner loops $Q$ there is a nonflexible C-loop $C$ with center $K$ such that $C/K$ is isomorphic to $Q$. We discuss possible orders of associators in C-loops. Finally, we show that the loops of signed basis elements in the standard real Cayley-Dickson algebras are C-loops.Comment: 17 pages, amsar

A semigroup-theoretical view of direct-sum decompositions and associated combinatorial problems

Let $R$ be a ring and let $\mathcal C$ be a small class of right $R$-modules which is closed under finite direct sums, direct summands, and isomorphisms. Let $\mathcal V (\mathcal C)$ denote a set of representatives of isomorphism classes in $\mathcal C$ and, for any module $M$ in $\mathcal C$, let $[M]$ denote the unique element in $\mathcal V (\mathcal C)$ isomorphic to $M$. Then $\mathcal V (\mathcal C)$ is a reduced commutative semigroup with operation defined by $[M] + [N] = [M \oplus N]$, and this semigroup carries all information about direct-sum decompositions of modules in $\mathcal C$. This semigroup-theoretical point of view has been prevalent in the theory of direct-sum decompositions since it was shown that if $\operatorname{End}_R (M)$ is semilocal for all $M\in \mathcal C$, then $\mathcal V (\mathcal C)$ is a Krull monoid. Suppose that the monoid $\mathcal V (\mathcal C)$ is Krull with a finitely generated class group (for example, when $\mathcal C$ is the class of finitely generated torsion-free modules and $R$ is a one-dimensional reduced Noetherian local ring). In this case we study the arithmetic of $\mathcal V (\mathcal C)$ using new methods from zero-sum theory. Furthermore, based on module-theoretic work of Lam, Levy, Robson, and others we study the algebraic and arithmetic structure of the monoid $\mathcal V (\mathcal C)$ for certain classes of modules over Pr\"ufer rings and hereditary Noetherian prime rings.Comment: 42 pages; to appear in the Journal of Algebra and its Application

Class 2 Moufang loops, small Frattini Moufang loops, and code loops

Let $L$ be a Moufang loop which is centrally nilpotent of class 2. We first show that the nuclearly-derived subloop (normal associator subloop) $L^*$ of $L$ has exponent dividing 6. It follows that $L_p$ (the subloop of $L$ of elements of $p$-power order) is associative for $p>3$. Next, a loop $L$ is said to be a {\it small Frattini Moufang loop}, or SFML, if $L$ has a central subgroup $Z$ of order $p$ such that C\isom L/Z is an elementary abelian $p$-group. $C$ is thus given the structure of what we call a {\it coded vector space}, or CVS. (In the associative/group case, CVS's are either orthogonal spaces, for $p=2$, or symplectic spaces with attached linear forms, for $p>2$.) Our principal result is that every CVS may be obtained from an SFML in this way, and two SFML's are isomorphic in a manner preserving the central subgroup $Z$ if and only if their CVS's are isomorphic up to scalar multiple. Consequently, we obtain the fact that every SFM 2-loop is a code loop, in the sense of Griess, and we also obtain a relatively explicit characterization of isotopy in SFM 3-loops. (This characterization of isotopy is easily extended to Moufang loops of class 2 and exponent 3.) Finally, we sketch a method for constructing any finite Moufang loop which is centrally nilpotent of class 2

Essential dimensions of algebraic groups and a resolution theorem for G-varieties

Let G be an algebraic group and let X be a generically free G-variety. We show that X can be transformed, by a sequence of blowups with smooth G-equivariant centers, into a G-variety X' with the following property: the stabilizer of every point of X' is isomorphic to a semidirect product of a unipotent group U and a diagonalizable group A. As an application of this and related results, we prove new lower bounds on essential dimensions of some algebraic groups. We also show that certain polynomials in one variable cannot be simplified by a Tschirnhaus transformation.Comment: This revision contains new lower bounds for essential dimensions of algebraic groups of types A_n and E_7. AMS LaTeX 1.1, 42 pages. Paper by Zinovy Reichstein and Boris Youssi, includes an appendix by J\'anos Koll\'ar and Endre Szab\'o. Author-supplied dvi file available at http://ucs.orst.edu/~reichstz/pub.htm