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Damian Sercombe

Publications and source records attributed to Damian Sercombe.

11 recordsLinked to original sources
arXiv2026

The hypercenter of an algebraic group

We show that any connected algebraic group $G$ over a field admits a nilpotent normal subgroup $Z_\infty(G)$ such that the quotient $G/Z_\infty(G)$ has trivial center. We construct $Z_\infty(G)$ as the final term of the transfinitely extended upper central series of $G$; accordingly, we call it the hypercenter of $G$. We establish several related results about the upper central series of $G$, along with an analogue for algebraic groups of a well-known theorem of Fitting's.

math.GR↗
arXiv2026

Maximal subgroups of maximal rank in the classical algebraic groups

Let $k$ be an arbitrary field. We classify the maximal reductive subgroups of maximal rank in any classical simple algebraic $k$-group in terms of combinatorial data associated to their indices. This result complements [S, 2022], which does the same for the exceptional groups. We determine which of these subgroups may be realised over a finite field, the real numbers, or over a $\mathfrak{p}$-adic field. We also look at the asymptotics of the number of such subgroups as the rank grows large.

math.GR↗
arXiv2026

Unipotent normal subgroups of algebraic groups

Let $G$ be an affine algebraic group scheme over a field $k$. We show there exists a unipotent normal subgroup of $G$ which contains all other such subgroups; we call it the restricted unipotent radical $\mathrm{Rad}_u(G)$ of $G$. We investigate some properties of $\mathrm{Rad}_u(G)$, and study those $G$ for which $\mathrm{Rad}_u(G)$ is trivial. In particular, we relate these notions to their well-known analogues for smooth connected affine $k$-groups.

math.GR↗
arXiv2026

Maximal toroids and Cartan subgroups of algebraic groups

We introduce a unified theory of Cartan subgroups and maximal toroids - defined as connected multiplicative type subgroups that are maximal amongst all such subgroups - which holds for all affine algebraic groups over a field, regardless of smoothness. For instance we show that maximal toroids always exist, that they are invariant under base change, and that they are in natural 1-1 correspondence with Cartan subgroups. Our results generalise known results for Cartan subgroups and maximal tori of smooth affine algebraic groups, as well as their analogues for restricted Lie algebras. We conclude with some applications to, and a brief discussion of, some generation problems for algebraic groups.

math.GR↗
arXiv2024

The subgroup structure of pseudo-reductive groups

Let $k$ be a field. We investigate the relationship between subgroups of a pseudo-reductive $k$-group $G$ and its maximal reductive quotient $G'$, with applications to the subgroup structure of $G$. Let $k'/k$ be the minimal field of definition for the geometric unipotent radical of $G$, and let $π':G_{k'} \to G'$ be the quotient map. We first characterise those smooth subgroups $H$ of $G$ for which $π'(H_{k'})=G'$. We next consider the following questions: given a subgroup $H'$ of $G'$, does there exist a subgroup $H$ of $G$ such that $π'(H_{k'})=H'$, and if $H'$ is smooth can we find such a $H$ that is smooth? We find sufficient conditions for a positive answer to these questions. In general there are various obstructions to the existence of such a subgroup $H$, which we illustrate with several examples. Finally, we apply these results to relate the maximal smooth subgroups of $G$ with those of $G'$.

math.GR↗
arXiv2022

Random generation of associative algebras

There has been considerable interest in recent decades in questions of random generation of finite and profinite groups, and finite simple groups in particular. In this paper we study similar notions for finite and profinite associative algebras. Let $k=F_q$ be a finite field. Let $A$ be a finite dimensional, associative, unital algebra over $k$. Let $P(A)$ be the probability that two elements of $A$ chosen (uniformly and independently) at random will generate $A$ as a unital $k$-algebra. It is known that, if $A$ is simple, then $P(A) \to 1$ as $|A| \to \infty$. We extend this result to a large class of finite associative algebras. For $A$ simple, we find the optimal lower bound for $P(A)$ and we estimate the growth rate of $P(A)$ in terms of the minimal index $m(A)$ of any proper subalgebra of $A$. We also study the random generation of simple algebras $A$ by two elements that have a given characteristic polynomial (resp. a given rank). In addition, we bound above and below the minimal number of generators of general finite algebras. Finally, we let $A$ be a profinite algebra over $k$. We show that $A$ is positively finitely generated if and only if $A$ has polynomial maximal subalgebra growth. Related quantitative results are also established.

math.RA↗
arXiv2021

Maximal connected k-subgroups of maximal rank in connected reductive algebraic k-groups

Let $k$ be any field and let $G$ be a connected reductive algebraic $k$-group. Associated to $G$ is an invariant first studied by Satake and Tits that is called the index of $G$ (a Dynkin diagram along with some additional combinatorial information). Tits showed that the $k$-isogeny class of $G$ is uniquely determined by its index and the $k$-isogeny class of its anisotropic kernel $G_a$. For the cases where $G$ is absolutely simple, Satake and Tits classified all possibilities for the index of $G$. Let $H$ be a connected reductive $k$-subgroup of maximal rank in $G$. We introduce an invariant of the $G(k)$-conjugacy class of $H$ in $G$ called the embedding of indices of $H$ in $G$. This consists of the index of $H$ and the index of $G$ along with an embedding map that satisfies certain compatibility conditions. We introduce an equivalence relation called index-conjugacy on the set of $k$-subgroups of $G$, and observe that the $G(k)$-conjugacy class of $H$ in $G$ is determined by its index-conjugacy class and the $G(k)$-conjugacy class of $H_a$ in $G$. We show that the index-conjugacy class of $H$ in $G$ is uniquely determined by its embedding of indices. For the cases where $G$ is absolutely simple of exceptional type and $H$ is maximal connected in $G$, we classify all possibilities for the embedding of indices of $H$ in $G$. Finally, we establish some existence results. In particular, we consider which embeddings of indices exist when $k$ has cohomological dimension $1$ (resp. $k=R$, $k$ is $p$-adic).

math.GR↗
arXiv2020

The length and depth of associative algebras

Recently there has been considerable interest in studying the length and the depth of finite groups, algebraic groups and Lie groups. In this paper we introduce and study similar notions for algebras. Let $k$ be a field and let $A$ be an associative, not necessarily unital, algebra over $k$. An unrefinable chain of $A$ is a chain of subalgebras $A=A_0>A_1>...>A_t=0$ for some integer $t$ where each $A_i$ is a maximal subalgebra of $A_{i-1}$. The maximal (respectively, minimal) length of such an unrefinable chain is called the length (respectively, depth) of $A$. It turns out that finite length, finite depth and finite dimension are equivalent properties for $A$. For $A$ finite dimensional, we give a formula for the length of $A$, we bound the depth of $A$, and we study when the length of $A$ equals its dimension and its depth respectively. Finally, we investigate under what circumstances the dimension of $A$ is bounded above by a function of its length, or its depth, or its length minus its depth.

math.RA↗
arXiv2018

The length and depth of real algebraic groups

Let $G$ be a connected real algebraic group. An unrefinable chain of $G$ is a chain of subgroups $G=G_0>G_1>...>G_t=1$ where each $G_i$ is a maximal connected real subgroup of $G_{i-1}$. The maximal (respectively, minimal) length of such an unrefinable chain is called the length (respectively, depth) of $G$. We give a precise formula for the length of $G$, which generalises results of Burness, Liebeck and Shalev on complex algebraic groups and also on compact Lie groups. If $G$ is simple then we bound the depth of $G$ above and below, and in many cases we compute the exact value. In particular, the depth of any simple $G$ is at most $9$.

math.GR↗
arXiv2015

A family of uniform lattices acting on a Davis complex with a non-discrete set of covolumes

Let $(W,S)$ be a Coxeter system with Davis complex $Σ$. The polyhedral automorphism group $G$ of $Σ$ is a locally compact group under the compact-open topology. If $G$ is a discrete group (as characterised by Haglund--Paulin), then the set $\mathcal V_u(G)$ of uniform lattices in $G$ is discrete. Whether the converse is true remains an open problem. Under certain assumptions on $(W,S)$, we show that $\mathcal V_u(G)$ is non-discrete and contains rationals (in lowest form) with denominators divisible by arbitrarily large powers of any prime less than a fixed integer. We explicitly construct our lattices as fundamental groups of complexes of groups with universal cover $Σ$. We conclude with a new proof of an already known analogous result for regular right-angled buildings.

math.GR↗