arXiv subjects
Publications and source records attributed to Dave Witte Morris.
We show that if G is a finite group whose commutator subgroup [G,G] has order 2p, where p is an odd prime, then every connected Cayley graph on G has a hamiltonian cycle.
For any two squares A and B of an m x n checkerboard, we determine whether it is possible to move a checker through a route that starts at A, ends at B, and visits each square of the board exactly once. Each step of the route moves to an adjacent square, either to the east or to the north, and may step off the edge of the board in a manner corresponding to the usual construction of a projective plane by applying a twist when gluing opposite sides of a rectangle. This generalizes work of M.H.Forbush et al. for the special case where m = n.
Let S be a finite generating set of a torsion-free, nilpotent group G. We show that every automorphism of the Cayley graph Cay(G;S) is affine. (That is, every automorphism of the graph is obtained by composing a group automorphism with multiplication by an element of the group.) More generally, we show that if Cay(G;S) and Cay(G';S') are connected Cayley graphs of finite valency on two nilpotent groups G and G', then every isomorphism from Cay(G;S) to Cay(G';S') factors through to a well-defined affine map from G/N to G'/N', where N and N' are the torsion subgroups of G and G', respectively. For the special case where the groups are abelian, these results were previously proved by A.A.Ryabchenko and C.Loeh, respectively.
This note shows there are infinitely many finite groups G, such that every connected Cayley graph on G has a hamiltonian cycle, and G is not solvable. Specifically, for every prime p that is congruent to 1, modulo 30, we show there is a hamiltonian cycle in every connected Cayley graph on the direct product of the cyclic group of order p with the alternating group A_5 on five letters.
This book provides a gentle introduction to the study of arithmetic subgroups of semisimple Lie groups. This means that the goal is to understand the group SL(n,Z) and certain of its subgroups. Among the major results discussed in the later chapters are the Mostow Rigidity Theorem, the Margulis Superrigidity Theorem, Ratner's Theorems, and the classification of arithmetic subgroups of classical groups. As background for the proofs of these theorems, the book provides primers on lattice subgroups, arithmetic groups, real rank and Q-rank, ergodic theory, unitary representations, amenability, Kazhdan's property (T), and quasi-isometries. Numerous exercises enhance the book's usefulness both as a textbook for a second-year graduate course and for self-study. In addition, notes at the end of each chapter have suggestions for further reading. (Proofs in this book often consider only an illuminating special case.) Readers are expected to have some acquaintance with Lie groups, but appendices briefly review the prerequisite background.
A Lie algebra $\mathfrak{g}_\mathbb{Q}$ over $\mathbb{Q}$ is said to be $\mathbb{R}$-universal if every homomorphism from $\mathfrak{g}_\mathbb{Q}$ to $\mathfrak{gl}(n,\mathbb{R})$ is conjugate to a homomorphism into $\mathfrak{gl}(n,\mathbb{Q})$ (for every $n$). By using Galois cohomology, we provide a short proof of the known fact that every real semisimple Lie algebra has an $\mathbb{R}$-universal $\mathbb{Q}$-form. We also provide a classification of the $\mathbb{R}$-universal Lie algebras that are semisimple.
We study the automorphisms of a Cayley graph that preserve its natural edge-colouring. More precisely, we are interested in groups G, such that every such automorphism of every connected Cayley graph on G has a very simple form: the composition of a left-translation and a group automorphism. We find classes of groups that have the property, and we determine the orders of all groups that do not have the property. We also have analogous results for automorphisms that permute the colours, rather than preserving them.
Let Gamma be an S-arithmetic subgroup of a solvable algebraic group G over an algebraic number field F, such that the finite set S contains at least one place that is nonarchimedean. We construct a certain group H, such that if L is any local field and alpha is any homomorphism from Gamma to GL(n,L), then alpha virtually extends (modulo a bounded error) to a continuous homomorphism defined on some finite-index subgroup of H. In the special case where F is the field of rational numbers, the real-rank of G is 0, and Gamma is Zariski-dense in G, we may let H = G_S. We also point out a generalization that does not require G to be solvable.
Suppose X/Gamma is an arithmetic locally symmetric space of noncompact type (with the natural metric induced by the Killing form of the isometry group of X), and let p be a point on the visual boundary of X. It was shown by T.Hattori that if each horoball based at p intersects every Gamma-orbit in X, then p is not on the boundary of any Q-split flat in X (where Q is the field of rational numbers). We prove the converse. (This was conjectured by W.H.Rehn in some special cases.) Furthermore, we prove an analogous result when Gamma is a nonarithmetic lattice.
Suppose Gamma is an S-arithmetic subgroup of a connected, semisimple algebraic group G over a global field Q (of any characteristic). It is well known that Gamma acts by isometries on a certain CAT(0) metric space X_S that is a Cartesian product of Euclidean buildings and Riemannian symmetric spaces. For a point p on the visual boundary of X_S, we show there exists a horoball based at p that is disjoint from some Gamma-orbit in X_S if and only if p lies on the boundary of a certain type of flat in X_S that we call "Q-good." This generalizes a theorem of G.Avramidi and D.W.Morris that characterizes the horospherical limit points for the action of an arithmetic group on its associated symmetric space.
We present detailed summaries of the talks that were given during a week-long workshop on Arithmetic Groups at the Banff International Research Station in April 2013. The vast majority of these reports are based on abstracts that were kindly provided by the speakers. Video recordings of many of the lectures are available online.
In honor of S.G.Dani's 65th birthday, we describe some of his many contributions to the theory and applications of dynamical systems on homogeneous spaces, with emphasis on unipotent flows.
We construct an infinite family of connected, 2-generated Cayley digraphs Cay(G;a,b) that do not have hamiltonian paths, such that the orders of the generators a and b are arbitrarily large. We also prove that if G is any finite group with |[G,G]| < 4, then every connected Cayley digraph on G has a hamiltonian path (but the conclusion does not always hold when |[G,G]| = 4 or 5).
We show that every amenable group with a locally invariant partial order has a left-invariant total order (and is therefore locally indicable). We also show that if a group G admits a left-invariant total order, and H is a locally nilpotent subgroup of G, then a left-invariant total order on G can be chosen so that its restriction to H is both left-invariant and right-invariant. Both results follow from recurrence properties of the action of G on its binary relations.
The group SL(3,Z) cannot act (faithfully) on the circle (by homeomorphisms). We will see that many other arithmetic groups also cannot act on the circle. The discussion will involve several important topics in group theory, such as ordered groups, amenability, bounded generation, and bounded cohomology. Lecture 1 provides an introduction to the subject, and uses the theory of left-orderable groups to prove that SL(3,Z) does not act on the circle. Lecture 2 discusses bounded generation, and proves that groups of the form SL(2,Z[a]) do not act on the real line. Lectures 3 and 4 are brief introductions to amenable groups and bounded cohomology, respectively. They also explain how these ideas can be used to prove that actions on the circle have finite orbits. An appendix provides hints or references for all of the exercises. These notes are slightly expanded from talks given at the Park City Mathematics Institute's Graduate Summer School in July 2012.
Suppose G is a finite group of order 30p, where p is prime. We show that if S is any generating set of G, then there is a hamiltonian cycle in the corresponding Cayley graph Cay(G;S).
We show that if G is a nontrivial, finite group of odd order, whose commutator subgroup [G,G] is cyclic of order p^m q^n, where p and q are prime, then every connected Cayley graph on G has a hamiltonian cycle.
We prove a few basic facts about the space of bi-invariant (or left-invariant) total order relations on a torsion-free, nonabelian, nilpotent group G. For instance, we show that the space of bi-invariant orders has no isolated points (so it is a Cantor set if G is countable), and give examples to show that the outer automorphism group of G does not always act faithfully on this space. Also, it is not difficult to see that the abstract commensurator group of G has a natural action on the space of left-invariant orders, and we show that this action is faithful. These results are related to recent work of T.Koberda that shows the automorphism group of G acts faithfully on this space.