A new flag-transitive linear space
We construct a new flag-transitive $2$-$(496,4,1)$ design with automorphism group $\mathrm{PΓL}_2(32)$. This corrects an omission in the classification of the finite flag-transitive linear spaces.
math.CO↗
arXiv subjects
Cheryl E. Praeger
Publications and source records attributed to Cheryl E. Praeger.
Constructing linear codes from digraphs and groups
In 2012, Kaufman and Lubotzky constructed the first family of symmetric LDPC good codes. Their construction used Cayley codes, as originally defined by Kaufman and Wigderson (2016). In this paper we present two generalisations to the Cayley code construction, which we call graph codes and digraph codes. We investigate both the algebraic, and combinatorial properties of these constructions and show that they possess the same desirable attributes as Cayley codes, but with added freedom. We analyse the relationship between the expansion properties of the ingredient (di)graphs and the parameters of the constructed codes; our analysis offers an improvement to the results of Kaufman and Lubotzky. As an application, we construct an infinite family of good digraph codes, and we propose a series of open problems.
cs.IT↗
Recursive constructions for block-transitive, poset-imprimitive two-designs
We give two general constructions for $2$-designs, that can be used recursively, and interchangeably, to produce new infinite families of $2$-designs admitting block-transitive groups of automorphisms which preserve arbitrarily large posets of partitions of the point-set. The only arbitrarily large posets for which constructions were previously known are chains of arbitrary length. Using the constructions we exhibit new infinite families of poset-imprimitive block-transitive $2$-designs corresponding to several different arbitrarily large posets, as well as constructions for most posets with four nodes.
math.CO↗
Structure of Cayley Codes
Cayley codes, introduced by Kaufman and Wigderson, are linear codes constructed from a Cayley graph and a smaller linear code. We explore general properties of the class of Cayley codes for finite groups. In particular we give a reduction to Cayley codes for connected Cayley graphs that maintains code properties such as rate, minimum distance and symmetry. Also, for a given Cayley code, we identify a family of symmetric Cayley codes, each associated with a normal edge-transitive Cayley graph, such that the given Cayley code embeds into the direct sum of the symmetric Cayley codes. We analyse several families of examples, in particular studying the behaviour of the Cayley code construction under forming direct products and cartesian products of Cayley graphs, and we pose a number of open questions.
math.CO↗
The probability that two elements with large $1$-eigenspaces generate a classical group
With high probability, among $O(\log n)$ independent randomly selected elements from a finite $n$-dimensional classical group, some pair of elements power to a $2$-element generating set for a naturally embedded classical subgroup of dimension $O(\log n)$. The $2$-element generating set produced consists of certain elements with large $1$-eigenspaces, called stingray elements. Underpinning this result is a new theorem on the generation of a finite classical group by a pair of stingray elements. In particular we show that, for classical groups not containing ${\rm SL}_n(q)$, the probability of generation is at least $0.975$. The explicit probability bounds we obtain will be applied to justify complexity analyses for new constructive recognition algorithms for finite classical groups.
math.GR↗
Block-transitive designs with a poset of imprimitive partitions
We study block designs which admit an automorphism group that is transitive on blocks and points, and leaves invariant every partition in a given finite poset of partitions of the point set. The full stabiliser $G$ of all the partitions in the poset is a generalised wreath product. We use the theory of generalised wreath products to give necessary and sufficient conditions, in terms of the `array' of a point-subset $B$, for the set of $G$-images of $B$ to form the block-set of a $G$-block-transitive $2$-design. This generalises previous results for the special cases where the poset is a chain or an anti-chain. We also give explicit infinite families of examples of $2$-designs for each poset involving three proper partitions, and for the famous $N$-poset with four partitions. (Posets with two proper partitions have been treated previously.) This suggests the problem of finding explicit examples for other posets.
math.GR↗
Enhanced power graphs of finite groups with cograph structure
The enhanced power graph, $\mathcal{E}(G)$, of a group $G$ has vertex set $G$ and two elements are adjacent if they generate a cyclic subgroup. In the case of finite groups, we identify some striking and unexpected properties of these graphs, as well as links between properties of $\mathcal{E}(G)$ and properties of the group $G$. We prove that if $\mathcal{E}(G)$ is a cograph then it is also a chordal graph. Making use of properties of simplicial vertices, we characterise the finite groups $G$ whose enhanced power graph is diamond-free or a block graph. We also characterise the finite groups having enhanced power graph a cograph or a quasi-threshold graph, and those with $C_4$-free enhanced power graph. We use these characterisations to classify the finite nonabelian simple groups whose enhanced power graph is a cograph and give information on the finite simple groups whose enhanced power graph is $C_4$-free. Some open problems are posed.
math.GR↗
Proper partial linear spaces affording imprimitive rank 3 automorphism groups
A partial linear space is a point--line incidence structure such that each line is incident with at least two points and each pair of points is incident with at most one line. It is said to be proper if there exists at least one non-collinear point pair, and at least one line incident with more than two points. The highest degree of symmetry for a proper partial linear space occurs when the automorphism group $G$ is transitive on ordered pairs of collinear points, and on ordered pairs of non-collinear points, that is to say, $G$ is a transitive rank $3$ group on the points. While the primitive rank 3 partial linear spaces are essentially classified, we present the first substantial classification of a family of imprimitive rank $3$ examples. We classify all imprimitive rank $3$ proper partial linear spaces such that the rank $3$ group is semiprimitive. In particular, this includes all partial linear spaces with a rank 3 imprimitive automorphism group that is innately transitive or quasiprimitive. We construct several infinite families of examples and ten individual examples. The examples in the infinite families admit a rank $3$ action of a linear or unitary group, and to our knowledge most of these examples have not appeared before in the literature.
math.GR↗
Finite permutation groups with quasi-semiregular elements
A quasi-semiregular element in a permutation group is an element that has a unique fixed point and acts semiregularly on the remaining points. Such elements were first studied in the context of automorphisms of graphs and occur naturally in many families of permutation groups, such as Frobenius and Zassenhaus groups. They also arise in the context of groups with a strongly $p$-embedded subgroup. We investigate the question of which finite permutation groups contain quasi-semiregular elements, with particular attention to the primitive permutation groups. We determine the O'Nan-Scott types of primitive groups that can contain quasi-semiregular elements and reduce the question to the affine and almost simple cases. In the almost simple case, we obtain a complete classification when the socle is alternating or sporadic.
math.GR↗
Bipartite $q$-Kneser graphs and two-generated irreducible linear groups
Let $V:=(\mathbb{F}_q)^d$ be a $d$-dimensional vector space over the field $\mathbb{F}_q$ of order $q$. Fix positive integers $e_1,e_2$ satisfying $e_1+e_2=d$. Motivated by analysing a fundamental algorithm in computational group theory for recognising classical groups, we consider a certain quantity $P(e_1,e_2)$ which arises in both graph theory and group representation theory: $P(e_1,e_2)$ is the proportion of $3$-walks in the `bipartite $q$-Kneser graph' $Γ_{e_1,e_2}$ that are closed $3$-arcs. We prove that, for a group $G$ satisfying ${\rm SL}_d(q)\leqslant G\leqslant{\rm GL}_d(q)$, the proportion of certain element-pairs in $G$ called `$(e_1,e_2)$-stingray duos' which generate an irreducible subgroup is also equal to $P(e_1,e_2)$. We give an exact formula for $P(e_1,e_2)$, and prove that $1-q^{-1}-q^{-2}< P(e_1,e_2)< 1-q^{-1}-q^{-2}+2q^{-3}-2q^{-5}$ for $2\leqslant e_2\leqslant e_1$ and $q\geqslant2$.These bounds have implications for the complexity analysis of the state-of-the-art algorithms to recognise classical groups, which we discuss in the final section.
math.GR↗
Prime power coverings of groups
For a finite group $A$ with normal subgroup $G$, a subgroup $U$ of $G$ is an $A$-prime-power-covering subgroup if $U$ meets every $A$-conjugacy-class of elements of $G$ of prime power order. It is conjectured that $|G:U|$ is bounded by some function of $|A:G|$, and this conjecture has number theoretic implications for relative Brauer groups of algebraic number fields. We prove the conjecture in the case that the action of $G$ on the set of right cosets of $U$ in $G$ is innately transitive. This includes the case where $U$ is a maximal subgroup of $G$. The proof uses a new bound on the order of a nonabelian finite simple group in terms of its number of classes of elements of prime power order, which in turn depends on the Classification of the Finite Simple Groups.
math.GR↗
Finite simple groups have many classes of $p$-elements
For an element $x$ of a finite group $T$, the $\mathrm{Aut}(T)$-class of $x$ is the set $\{ x^σ\mid σ\in \mathrm{Aut}(T)\}$. We prove that the order $|T|$ of a finite nonabelian simple group $T$ is bounded above by a function of the parameter $m(T)$, where $m(T)$ is the maximum, over all primes $p$, of the number of $\mathrm{Aut}(T)$-classes of elements of $T$ of $p$-power order. This bound is a substantial generalisation of results of Pyber, and of Héthelyi and Külshammer, and it has implications for relative Brauer groups of finite extensions of global fields.
math.GR↗
Absolutely irreducible quasisimple linear groups containing elements of order a specified Zsigmondy prime
This paper is concerned with absolutely irreducible quasisimple subgroups $G$ of a finite general linear group $GL_d(\mathbb{F}_q)$ for which some element $g\in G$ of prime order $r$, in its action on the natural module $V=(\mathbb{F}_q)^d$, is irreducible on a subspace of the form $V(1-g)$ of dimension $d/2$. We classify $G,d,r$, the characteristic $p$ of the field $\mathbb{F}_q$, and we identify those examples where the element $g$ has a fixed point subspace of dimension $d/2$. Our proof relies on representation theory, in particular, the multiplicities of eigenvalues of $g$, and builds on earlier results of DiMuro.
math.RT↗
Vertex-primitive s-arc-transitive digraphs of symplectic groups
A digraph is $s$-arc-transitive if its automorphism group is transitive on directed paths with $s$ edges, that is, on $s$-arcs. Although infinite families of finite $s$-arc transitive digraphs of arbitrary valency were constructed by the third author in 1989, existence of a vertex-primitive $2$-arc-transitive digraph was not known until an infinite family was constructed by the second author with Li and Xia in 2017. This led to a conjecture by the second author and Xia in 2018 that, for a finite vertex-primitive $s$-arc-transitive digraph, $s$ is at most $2$, together with their proof that it is sufficient to prove the conjecture for digraphs with an almost simple group of automorphisms. This paper confirms the conjecture for finite symplectic groups.
math.CO↗
Basic Tetravalent Oriented Graphs of Independent-Cycle Type
The family $\mathcal{OG}(4)$ consisting of graph-group pairs $(Γ, G)$, where $Γ$ is a finite, connected, 4-valent graph admitting a $G$-vertex-, and $G$-edge-transitive, but not $G$-arc-transitive action, has recently been examined using a normal quotient methodology. A subfamily of $\mathcal{OG}(4)$ has been identified as `basic', due to the fact that all members of $\mathcal{OG}(4)$ are normal covers of at least one basic pair. We provide an explicit classification of those basic pairs $(Γ, G)$ which have at least two independent cyclic $G$-normal quotients (these are $G$-normal quotients which are not extendable to a common cyclic normal quotient).
math.CO↗
Group actions on codes in graphs
This is a chapter in a forthcoming book on completely regular codes in distance regular graphs. The chapter provides an overview, and some original results, on codes in distance regular graphs which admit symmetries via a permutation group acting on the vertices of the graph. The strongest notion of completely transitive codes is developed, as well as the more general notion of neighbour-transitive codes. The graphs considered are the Hamming, Johnson, and Kneser graphs and their q-analogues, as well as some graphs related to incidence structures.
math.CO↗
Maps, simple groups, and arc-transitive graphs
We determine all factorisations $X=AB$, where $X$ is a finite almost simple group and $A,B$ are core-free subgroups such that $A\cap B$ is cyclic or dihedral. As a main application, we classify the graphs $Γ$ admitting an almost simple arc-transitive group $X$ of automorphisms, such that $Γ$ has a 2-cell embedding as a map on a closed surface admitting a core-free arc-transitive subgroup $G$ of $X$. We prove that apart from the case where $X$ and $G$ have socles $A_n$ and $A_{n-1}$ respectively, the only such graphs are the complete graphs $K_n$ with $n$ a prime power, the Johnson graphs $J(n,2)$ with $n-1$ a prime power, and 14 further graphs. In the exceptional case, we construct infinitely many graph embeddings.
math.GR↗
Showcasing straight-line programs with memory via matrix Bruhat decomposition
We suggest that straight-line programs designed for algebraic computations should be accompanied by a comprehensive complexity analysis that takes into account both the number of fundamental algebraic operations needed, as well as memory requirements arising during evaluation. We introduce an approach for formalising this idea and, as illustration, construct and analyse straight-line programs for the Bruhat decomposition of $d\times d$ matrices with determinant $1$ over a finite field of order $q$ that have length $O(d^2\log(q))$ and require storing only $O(\log(q))$ matrices during evaluation.
cs.DS↗