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Andreas Bächle

Publications and source records attributed to Andreas Bächle.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
arXiv2026

Gruenberg-Kegel graphs: cut groups, rational groups and the Prime Graph Question

The Gruenberg-Kegel graph of a group is the undirected graph whose vertices are those primes which occur as the order of an element of the group, and distinct vertices $p$, $q$ are joined by an edge whenever the group has an element of order $pq$. It reflects interesting properties of the group. A group is said to be cut if the central units of its integral group ring are trivial. This is a rich family of groups, which contains the well studied class of rational groups, and has received attention recently. In the first part of this paper we give a complete classification of the Gruenberg-Kegel graphs of finite solvable cut groups which have at most three elements in their prime spectrum. For the remaining cases of finite solvable cut groups, we strongly restrict the list of the possible Gruenberg-Kegel graphs and realize most of them by finite solvable cut groups. Likewise, we give a list of the possible Gruenberg-Kegel graphs of finite solvable rational groups and realize as such all but one of them. As an application, we completely classify the Gruenberg-Kegel graphs of metacyclic, metabelian, supersolvable, metanilpotent and $2$-Frobenius groups for the classes of cut groups and rational groups, respectively. The Prime Graph Question asks whether the Gruenberg-Kegel graph of a group coincides with that of the group of normalized units of its integral group ring. The recent appearance of a counter-example for the First Zassenhaus Conjecture on the torsion units of integral group rings has highlighted the relevance of this question. We answer the Prime Graph Question for integral group rings for finite rational groups and most finite cut groups.

math.GR↗
arXiv2022

On the Prime Graph Question for Integral Group Rings of 4-primary groups I

We study the Prime Graph Question for integral group rings. This question can be reduced to almost simple groups by a result of Kimmerle and Konovalov. We prove that the Prime Graph Question has an affirmative answer for all almost simple groups having a socle isomorphic to $\operatorname{PSL}(2, p^f)$ for $f \leq 2$, establishing the Prime Graph Question for the first time for all automorphic extensions of series of simple groups. Using this, we determine exactly how far the so-called HeLP-method can take us for (almost simple) groups having an order divisible by at most $4$ different primes.

math.RT↗
arXiv2021

Global and local properties of finite groups with only finitely many central units in their integral group ring

The aim of this article is to explore global and local properties of finite groups whose integral group rings have only trivial central units, so-called cut groups. For such a group we study actions of Galois groups on its character table and show that the natural actions on the rows and columns are essentially the same, in particular the number of rational-valued irreducible characters coincides with the number of rational-valued conjugacy classes. Further, we prove a natural criterion for nilpotent groups of class 2 to be cut and give a complete list of simple cut groups. Also, the impact of the cut property on Sylow 3-subgroups is discussed. We also collect substantial data on groups which indicates that the class of cut groups is surprisingly large. Several open problems are included.

math.GR↗
arXiv2021

Abelianization of the unit group of an integral group ring

For a finite group $G$ and $U: = U(\mathbb{Z}G)$, the group of units of the integral group ring of $G$, we study the implications of the structure of $G$ on the abelianization $U/U'$ of $U$. We pose questions on the connections between the exponent of $G/G'$ and the exponent of $U/U'$ as well as between the ranks of the torsion-free parts of $Z(U)$, the center of $U$, and $U/U'$. We show that the units originating from known generic constructions of units in $\mathbb{Z}G$ are well-behaved under the projection from $U$ to $U/U'$ and that our questions have a positive answer for many examples. We then exhibit an explicit example which shows that the general statement on the torsion-free part does not hold, which also answers questions from [BJJ$^+$18].

math.RA↗
arXiv2021

Abelianization and fixed point properties of units in integral group rings

Let $G$ be a finite group and $\mathcal{U} (\mathbb{Z} G)$ the unit group of the integral group ring $\mathbb{Z} G$. We prove a unit theorem, namely a characterization of when $\mathcal{U}(\mathbb{Z}G)$ satisfies Kazhdan's property $(\operatorname{T})$, both in terms of the finite group $G$ and in terms of the simple components of the semisimple algebra $\mathbb{Q}G$. Furthermore, it is shown that for $\mathcal{U}( \mathbb{Z} G)$ this property is equivalent to the weaker property $\operatorname{FAb}$ (i.e. every subgroup of finite index has finite abelianization), and in particular also to a hereditary version of Serre's property $\operatorname{FA}$, denoted $\operatorname{HFA}$. More precisely, it is described when all subgroups of finite index in $\mathcal{U} (\mathbb{Z} G)$ have both finite abelianization and are not a non-trivial amalgamated product. A crucial step for this is a reduction to arithmetic groups $\operatorname{SL}_n(\mathcal{O})$, where $\mathcal{O}$ is an order in a finite dimensional semisimple $\mathbb{Q}$-algebra $D$, and finite groups $G$ which have the so-called cut property. For such groups $G$ we describe the simple epimorphic images of $\mathbb{Q} G$. The proof of the unit theorem fundamentally relies on fixed point properties and the abelianization of the elementary subgroups $\operatorname{E}_n(D)$ of $\operatorname{SL}_n(D)$. These groups are well understood except in the degenerate case of lower rank, i.e.\ for $\operatorname{SL}_2(\mathcal{O})$ with $\mathcal{O}$ an order in a division algebra $D$ with a finite number of units. In this setting we determine Serre's property \FA for $\operatorname{E}_2(\mathcal{O})$ and its subgroups of finite index. We construct a generic and computable exact sequence describing its abelianization, affording a closed formula for its $\mathbb{Z}$-rank.

math.GR↗
arXiv2020

3 questions on cut groups

This short note collects three open questions on cut groups (a class of groups generalizing rational groups).

math.GR↗
arXiv2020

From examples to methods: Two cases from the study of units in integral group rings

In this article, we review the proofs of the first Zassenhaus Conjecture on conjugacy of torsion units in integral group rings for the alternating groups of degree 5 and 6, by Luthar-Passi and Hertweck. We describe how the study of these examples led to the development of two methods -- the HeLP method and the lattice method. We exhibit these methods and summarize some results which were achieved using them. We then apply these methods to the study of the first Zassenhaus conjecture for the alternating group of degree 7 where only one critical case remains open for a full answer. Along the way we show in examples how recently obtained results can be combined with the methods presented and collect open problems some of which could be attacked using these methods.

math.RA↗
arXiv2020

A dichotomy for integral group rings via higher modular groups as amalgamated products

We show that $\mathcal{U}(\mathbb{Z}G)$, the unit group of the integral group ring $\mathbb{Z} G$, either satisfies Kazhdan's property (T) or is, up to commensurability, a non-trivial amalgamated product, in case $G$ is a finite group satisfying some mild conditions. Crucial in the proof is the construction of amalgamated decompositions of the elementary group $\operatorname{E}_2(\mathcal{O})$, where $\mathcal{O}$ is an order in a rational division algebra. A major step is to introduce subgroups $\operatorname{E}_2(Γ_n(\mathbb{Z}))$ inside the so-called higher modular groups $\operatorname{SL}_+(Γ_n(\mathbb{Z}))$, which are discrete subgroups of certain $2 \times 2$ matrix groups with entries in a Clifford algebra. The groups $\operatorname{E}_2(Γ_n(\mathbb{Z}))$ mimic the elementary groups in linear groups over rings. We prove that $\operatorname{E}_2(Γ_n(\mathbb{Z}))$ has in general a non-trivial decomposition as a free product with amalgamated subgroup $\operatorname{E}_2(Γ_{n-1}(\mathbb{Z}))$. From this we obtain that also the higher modular groups do have a very clearly structured amalgam decompositions in low dimensions.

math.GR↗
arXiv2019

Orders generated by character values

Let $K:=\mathbb{Q}(G)$ be the number field generated by the complex character values of a finite group $G$. Let $\mathbb{Z}_K$ be the ring of integers of $K$. In this paper we investigate the suborder $\mathbb{Z}[G]$ of $\mathbb{Z}_K$ generated by the character values of $G$. We prove that every prime divisor of the order of the finite abelian group $\mathbb{Z}_K/\mathbb{Z}[G]$ divides $|G|$. Moreover, if $G$ is nilpotent, we show that the exponent of $\mathbb{Z}_K/\mathbb{Z}[G]$ is a proper divisor of $|G|$ unless $G=1$. We conjecture that this holds for arbitrary finite groups $G$.

math.GR↗
arXiv2019

An application of blocks to torsion units in group rings

We use the theory of blocks of cyclic defect to prove that under a certain condition on the principal p-block of a finite group G the normalized unit group of the integral group ring of G contains an element of order pq if and only if so does G, for q a prime different from p. Using this we verify the Prime Graph Question for all alternating and symmetric groups and also for two sporadic simple groups.

math.RA↗
arXiv2018

On the Prime Graph Question for Integral Group Rings of 4-primary groups II

In this article the study of the Prime Graph Question for the integral group ring of almost simple groups which have an order divisible by exactly $4$ different primes is continued. We provide more details on the recently developed "lattice method" which involves the calculation of Littlewood-Richardson coefficients. We apply the method obtaining results complementary to those previously obtained using the HeLP-method. In particular the "lattice method" is applied to infinite series of groups for the first time. We also prove the Zassenhaus Conjecture for four more simple groups. Furthermore we show that the Prime Graph Question has a positive answer around the vertex $3$ provided the Sylow $3$-subgroup is of order $3$.

math.RT↗
arXiv2018

On the first Zassenhaus conjecture and direct products

In this paper we study the behavior of the first Zassenhaus conjecture (ZC1) under direct products as well as the General Bovdi Problem (Gen-BP) which turns out to be a slightly weaker variant of (ZC1). Among others we prove that (Gen-BP) holds for Sylow tower groups, so in particular for the class of supersolvable groups. (ZC1) is established for a direct product of Sylow-by-abelian groups provided the normal Sylow subgroups form together a Hall subgroup. We also show (ZC1) for certain direct products with one of the factors a Frobenius group. We extend the classical HeLP method to group rings with coefficients from any ring of algebraic integers. This is used to study (ZC1) for the direct product $G \times A$, where $A$ is a finite abelian group and $G$ has order at most 95. For most of these groups we show that (ZC1) is valid and for all of them that (Gen-BP) holds. Moreover, we also prove that (Gen-BP) holds for the direct product of a Frobenius group with any finite abelian group.

math.RA↗
arXiv2018

Groups whose elements are not conjugate to their powers

We call a finite group irrational if none of its elements is conjugate to a distinct power of itself. We prove that those groups are solvable and describe certain classes of these groups, where the above property is only required for $p$-elements, for $p$ from a prescribed set of primes.

math.GR↗
arXiv2017

Integral group rings of solvable groups with trivial central units

The integral group ring $\mathbb{Z} G$ of a group $G$ has only trivial central units, if the only central units of $\mathbb{Z} G$ are $\pm z$ for $z$ in the center of $G$. We show that the order of a finite solvable group $G$ with this property, can only have $2$, $3$, $5$ and $7$ as prime divisors, by linking this to inverse semi-rational groups and extending one result on this class of groups. We also classify the Frobenius groups whose integral group rings have only trivial central units.

math.GR↗
arXiv2017

On the Prime Graph Question for Almost Simple Groups with an Alternating Socle

Let $G$ be an almost simple group with socle $A_n$, the alternating group of degree $n$. We prove that there is a unit of order $pq$ in the integral group ring of $G$ if and only if there is an element of that order in $G$ provided $p$ and $q$ are primes greater than $\frac{n}{3}$. We combine this with some explicit computations to verify the Prime Graph Question for all almost simple groups with socle $A_n$ if $n \leq 17$.

math.GR↗
arXiv2016

Algorithmic aspects of units in group rings

We describe the main questions connected to torsion subgroups in the unit group of integral group rings of finite groups and algorithmic methods to attack these questions. We then prove the Zassenhaus Conjecture for Amitsur groups and prove that any normalized torsion subgroup in the unit group of an integral group of a Frobenius complement is isomorphic to a subgroup of the group base. Moreover we study the orders of torsion units in integral group rings of finite almost quasisimple groups and the existence of torsion-free normal subgroups of finite index in the unit group.

math.RT↗
arXiv2016

The status of the Zassenhaus conjecture for small groups

We identify all small groups of order up to 288 in the GAP Library for which the Zassenhaus conjecture on rational conjugacy of units of finite order in the integral group ring cannot be established by an existing method. The groups must first survive all theoretical sieves and all known restrictions on partial augmentations (the HeLP$^+$ method). Then two new computational methods for verifying the Zassenhaus conjecture are applied to the unresolved cases, which we call the quotient method and the partially central unit construction method. To the cases that remain we attempt an assortment of special arguments available for units of certain orders and the lattice method. In the end, the Zassenhaus conjecture is verified for all groups of order less than 144 and we give a list of all remaining cases among groups of orders 144 to 287.

math.RA↗