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François Thilmany

Publications and source records attributed to François Thilmany.

6 recordsLinked to original sources
arXiv2026

Center-preserving irreducible representations of finite groups

Given finite groups $H \leq G$, a representation $σ$ of $G$ is called center-preserving on $H$ if the only elements of $H$ that become central under $σ$ are those that were already central in $G$. We prove that if $H$ has a faithful irreducible representation $ρ$, then at least one of the irreducible components of the induction $\operatorname{Ind}_H^G(ρ)$ is center-preserving on $H$. In consequence, $H$ has a faithful irreducible representation if and only if every finite group $G$ containing $H$ as a subgroup has an irreducible representation whose restriction to $H$ is faithful, and which is center-preserving on $H$. In addition, we give examples illustrating the sharpness of the statement, and discuss the connection with projective representations.

math.GR↗
arXiv2025

Simultaneous ping-pong for finite subgroups of reductive groups

Let $Γ$ be a Zariski-dense subgroup of a reductive group $\mathbf{G}$ defined over a field $F$. Given a finite collection of finite subgroups $H_i$ ($i \in I$) of $\mathbf{G}(F)$ avoiding the center, we establish a criterion to ensure that the set of elements of $Γ$ that form a free product with every $H_i$ (the so-called simultaneous ping-pong partners for $H_i$) is both Zariski- and profinitely dense in $Γ$. This criterion applies namely to direct products $\mathbf{G}$ of inner $\mathbb{R}$-forms of $\operatorname{(P)GL}_n$, and gives a positive answer to this particular case of a question asked by Bekka, Cowling and de la Harpe. For torsion elements, a complication arises due to the fact that a finite cyclic group can split into a direct product. When $\mathbf{G}$ is the multiplicative group of a semisimple algebra, we also give a more explicit method to obtain free products between two given finite subgroups, via first-order deformations. In the second half, we investigate the case where $\mathbf{G}$ is the multiplicative group of the group algebra $FG$ of a finite group $G$, and $Γ$ is the group of units of an order in $FG$. In this regard, we prove that the set of bicylic units that play ping-pong with a given shifted bicyclic unit, is Zariski- and profinitely dense, addressing a long-standing belief in the field of group rings. This result is deduced from the criterion above, combined with sharp existence results for well-behaved irreducible representations of $G$ that are center-preserving on a given subgroup.

math.GR↗
arXiv2021

Arithmetic Groups and the Lehmer Conjecture

We generalize a result of Sury and prove that uniform discreteness of cocompact lattices in higher rank semisimple Lie groups (first conjectured by Margulis) is equivalent to a weak form of Lehmer's conjecture. We include a short survey of related results and conjectures.

math.GR↗
arXiv2020

Constructing highly regular expanders from hyperbolic Coxeter groups

A graph $X$ is defined inductively to be $(a_0,\dots,a_{n-1})$-regular if $X$ is $a_0$-regular and for every vertex $v$ of $X$, the sphere of radius $1$ around $v$ is an $(a_1,\dots,a_{n-1})$-regular graph. Such a graph $X$ is said to be highly regular (HR) of level $n$ if $a_{n-1}\neq 0$. Chapman, Linial and Peled studied HR-graphs of level 2 and provided several methods to construct families of graphs which are expanders "globally and locally". They ask whether such HR-graphs of level 3 exist. In this paper we show how the theory of Coxeter groups, and abstract regular polytopes and their generalisations, can lead to such graphs. Given a Coxeter system $(W,S)$ and a subset $M$ of $S$, we construct highly regular quotients of the 1-skeleton of the associated Wythoffian polytope $\mathcal{P}_{W,M}$, which form an infinite family of expander graphs when $(W,S)$ is indefinite and $\mathcal{P}_{W,M}$ has finite vertex links. The regularity of the graphs in this family can be deduced from the Coxeter diagram of $(W,S)$. The expansion stems from applying superapproximation to the congruence subgroups of the linear group $W$. This machinery gives a rich collection of families of HR-graphs, with various interesting properties, and in particular answers affirmatively the question asked by Chapman, Linial and Peled.

math.GR↗
arXiv2017

Lattices of minimal covolume in SL_n(R)

The objective of this paper is to determine the lattices of minimal covolume in SL_n(R), for n greater than 3. The answer turns out to be the simplest one: SL_n(Z) is, up to automorphism, the unique lattice of minimal covolume in SL_n(R). In particular, lattices of minimal covolume in SL_n(R) are non-uniform when n is greater than 3, contrasting with Siegel's result for SL_2(R). This answers for SL_n(R) the question of Lubotzky: is a lattice of minimal covolume typically uniform or not?

math.GR↗