The orders of nonsingular derivations of Lie algebras of characteristic two

Nonsingular derivations of modular Lie algebras which have finite multiplicative order play a role in the coclass theory for pro-$p$ groups and Lie algebras. A study of the set N_p of positive integers which occur as orders of nonsingular derivations of finite-dimensional non-nilpotent Lie algebras of positive characteristic p was initiated by Shalev and continued by the present author. In this paper we continue this study in the case of characteristic two. Among other results, we prove that any divisor n of 2^k-1 with $n^4>(2^k-n)^{3}$ belongs to N_2. Our methods consist of elementary arguments with polynomials over finite fields and a little character theory of finite groups.Comment: 11 page

Exponential functions in prime characteristic

In this note we determine all power series F(X)\in 1+X\F_p[[X]] such that $(F(X+Y))^{-1} F(X)F(Y)$ has only terms of total degree a multiple of $p$. Up to a scalar factor, they are all the series of the form $F(X)=E_p(cX)\cdot G(X^p)$ for some c\in\F_p and G(X)\in 1+X\F_p[[X]], where $E_p(X)=\exp\big(\sum_{i=0}^{\infty}X^{p^i}/p^i\big)$ is the Artin-Hasse exponential.Comment: 6 pages, to be published in Aequationes Mat

Root multiplicities and number of nonzero coefficients of a polynomial

It is known that the weight (that is, the number of nonzero coefficients) of a univariate polynomial over a field of characteristic zero is larger than the multiplicity of any of its nonzero roots. We extend this result to an appropriate statement in positive characteristic. Furthermore, we present a new proof of the original result, which produces also the exact number of monic polynomials of a given degree for which the bound is attained. A similar argument allows us to determine the number of monic polynomials of a given degree, multiplicity of a given nonzero root, and number of nonzero coefficients, over a finite field of characteristic larger than the degree.Comment: 6 pages. Minor change from previous version: added Example 6, illustrating the difficulties arising when one tries to relax the hypothesis n<p of Theorem

Nottingham Lie algebras with diamonds of finite and infinite type

We consider a class of infinite-dimensional, modular, graded Lie algebras, which includes the graded Lie algebra associated to the Nottingham group with respect to its lower central series. We identify two subclasses of Nottingham Lie algebras as loop algebras of finite-dimensional simple Lie algebras of Hamiltonian Cartan type. A property of Laguerre polynomials of derivations, which is related to toral switching, plays a crucial role in our constructions.Comment: 17 pages; minor changes from the previous versio

Automorphisms of p-groups of maximal class

Juhasz has proved that the automorphism group of a group G of maximal class of order p^n, with p\ge 5 and n>p+1, has order divisible by $p^{\lceil(3n-2p+5)/2\rceil}$. We show that by translating the problem in terms of derivations, the result can be deduced from the case where G is metabelian. Here one can use a general result of Caranti and Scoppola concerning automorphisms of two-generator, nilpotent metabelian groups.Comment: 8 page