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Luke Morgan

Publications and source records attributed to Luke Morgan.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
arXiv2026

The distinguishing number of complete bipartite and crown graphs

The distinguishing number of a permutation group $G\leqslant\Sym(\Omega)$ is the minimum number of colours needed to colour $\Omega$ in such a way that the only colour preserving element of $G$ is the identity. The distinguishing number of a graph is the distinguishing number of its automorphism group (as a permutation group on vertices). We determine the distinguishing number of the complete bipartite graphs $K_{n,n}$ and the crown graphs $K_{n,n}-nK_2$, as well as the distinguishing number of some `large' subgroups of their automorphism groups, that is, the subgroups that are vertex- and edge-transitive and such that the induced action on each bipart is $\Alt(n)$ or $\Sym(n)$. We show that, if $G$ is a `large' group of automorphisms of $K_{n,n}$, then $n-1\leqslant D(G) \leqslant n+1$. Similarly, if $G$ is a `large' group of automorphisms of a crown graph, then $\lceil \sqrt{n-1}\rceil \leqslant D(G)\leqslant \lfloor \sqrt{n}\rfloor+1$. \smallskip \textit{Keywords:} complete bipartite graph; crown graph; distinguishing number; symmetric group; alternating group

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arXiv2025

Linear dimension of group actions

Two fundamental ways to represent a group are as permutations and as matrices. In this paper, we study linear representations of groups that intertwine with a permutation representation. Recently, D'Alconzo and Di Scala investigated how small the matrices in such a linear representation can be. The minimal dimension of such a representation is the \emph{linear dimension of the group action} and this has applications in cryptography and cryptosystems. We develop the idea of linear dimension from an algebraic point of view by using the theory of permutation modules. We give structural results about representations of minimal dimension and investigate the implications of faithfulness, transitivity and primitivity on the linear dimension. Furthermore, we compute the linear dimension of several classes of finite primitive permutation groups. We also study wreath products, allowing us to determine the linear dimension of imprimitive group actions. Finally, we give the linear dimension of almost simple finite $2$-transitive groups, some of which may be used for further applications in cryptography. Our results also open up many new questions about linear representations of group actions.

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arXiv2025

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.

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arXiv2024

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.

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arXiv2024

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 $\{ x^\sigma\mid \sigma\in \mathrm{Aut}(T)\}$. 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 H\'ethelyi and K\"ulshammer, and it has implications for relative Brauer groups of finite extensions of global fields.

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arXiv2023

Resolution of a conjecture about linking ring structures

An LR-structure is a tetravalent vertex-transitive graph together with a special type of a decomposition of its edge-set into cycles. LR-structures were introduced in a paper by P. Poto\v{c}nik and S. Wilson, titled `Linking rings structures and tetravalent semisymmetric graphs', in Ars Math. Contemp. 7 (2014), as a tool to study tetravalent semisymmetric graphs of girth 4. In this paper, we use the methods of group amalgams to resolve some problems left open in the above-mentioned paper.

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arXiv2022

A new infinite family of star normal quotient graphs of twisted wreath type

We construct the first infinite families of locally arc transitive graphs with the property that the automorphism group has two orbits on vertices and is quasiprimitive on exactly one orbit, of twisted wreath type. This work contributes to Giudici, Li and Praeger's program for the classification of locally arc transitive graphs by showing that the star normal quotient twisted wreath category also contains infinitely many graphs.

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arXiv2021

On primitive $2$-closed permutation groups of rank at most four

We characterise the primitive 2-closed groups $G$ of rank at most four that are not the automorphism group of a graph or digraph and show that if the degree is at least 2402 then there are just two infinite families or $G\leqslant \mathrm{A}\Gamma\mathrm{L}_1(p^d)$, the 1-dimensional affine semilinear group. These are the first known examples of non-regular 2-closed groups that are not the automorphism group of a graph or digraph.

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arXiv2020

Vertex-transitive graphs with local action the symmetric group on ordered pairs

We consider a finite, connected and simple graph $\Gamma$ that admits a vertex-transitive group of automorphisms $G$. Under the assumption that, for all $x \in V(\Gamma)$, the local action $G_x^{\Gamma(x)}$ is the action of $\mathrm{Sym}(n)$ on ordered pairs, we show that the group $G_x^{[3]}$, the pointwise stabiliser of a ball of radius three around $x$, is trivial.

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arXiv2019

The NNN-Property of Cyclic Groups

A Cayley graph is said to be an NNN-graph if it is both normal and non-normal for isomorphic regular groups, and a group has the NNN-property if there exists an NNN-graph for it. In this paper we investigate the NNN-property of cyclic groups, and show that cyclic groups do not have the NNN-property.

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arXiv2019

Generalised shuffle groups

The mathematics of shuffling a deck of $2n$ cards with two "perfect shuffles" was brought into clarity by Diaconis, Graham and Kantor. Here we consider a generalisation of this problem, with a so-called "many handed dealer" shuffling $kn$ cards by cutting into $k$ piles with $n$ cards in each pile and using $k!$ shuffles. A conjecture of Medvedoff and Morrison suggests that all possible permutations of the deck of cards are achieved, so long as $k\neq 4$ and $n$ is not a power of $k$. We confirm this conjecture for three doubly infinite families of integers: all $(k,n)$ with $k>n$; all $(k, n)\in \{ (\ell^e, \ell^f )\mid \ell \geqslant 2, \ell^e>4, f \ \mbox{not a multiple of}\ e\}$; and all $(k,n)$ with $k=2^e\geqslant 4$ and $n$ not a power of $2$. We open up a more general study of shuffle groups, which admit an arbitrary subgroup of shuffles.

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arXiv2018

The distinguishing number of quasiprimitive and semiprimitive groups

The distinguishing number of $G \leqslant \sym(\Omega)$ is the smallest size of a partition of $\Omega$ such that only the identity of $G$ fixes all the parts of the partition. Extending earlier results of Cameron, Neumann, Saxl and Seress on the distinguishing number of finite primitive groups, we show that all imprimitive quasiprimitive groups have distinguishing number two, and all non-quasiprimitive semiprimitive groups have distinguishing number two, except for $\mathrm{GL}(2, 3)$ acting on the eight non-zero vectors of $\mathbb F_2^3$, which has distinguishing number three.

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arXiv2018

Bounds for Finite Semiprimitive Permutation Groups: Order, Base Size, and Minimal Degree

In this paper we study finite semiprimitive permutation groups, that is, groups in which each normal subgroup is transitive or semiregular. We give bounds on the order, base size, minimal degree, fixity, and chief length of an arbitrary finite semiprimitive group in terms of its degree. To establish these bounds, we classify finite semiprimitive groups that induce the alternating or symmetric group on the set of orbits of an intransitive normal subgroup.

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arXiv2018

Coprime Subdegrees of Twisted Wreath Permutation Groups

Dolfi, Guralnick, Praeger and Spiga asked if there exist infinitely many primitive groups of twisted wreath type with nontrivial coprime subdegrees. Here we settle this question in the affirmative. We construct infinite families of primitive twisted wreath permutation groups with nontrivial coprime subdegrees. In particular, we define a primitive twisted wreath group $G(m,q)$ constructed from the nonabelian simple group $\text{PSL}(2,q)$ and a primitive permutation group of diagonal type with socle $\text{PSL}(2,q)^m$, and determine all values of $m$ and $q$ for which $G(m,q)$ has nontrivial coprime subdegrees. In the case where $m=2$ and $q\notin\{7,11,29\}$ we obtain a full classification of all pairs of nontrivial coprime subdegrees.

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arXiv2017

On $p$-groups with automorphism groups related to the Chevalley group $G_2(p)$

Let $p$ be an odd prime. We construct a $p$-group $P$ of nilpotency class two, rank seven and exponent $p$, such that $\mathrm{Aut}(P)$ induces $N_{\mathrm{GL}(7,p)}(G_2(p)) = Z(\mathrm{GL}(7,p)) G_2(p)$ on the Frattini quotient $P/\Phi(P)$. The constructed group $P$ is the smallest $p$-group with these properties, having order $p^{14}$, and when $p = 3$, our construction gives two nonisomorphic $p$-groups. To show that $P$ satisfies the specified properties, we study the action of $G_2(q)$ on the octonion algebra over $\mathbb{F}_q$, for each power $q$ of $p$, and explore the reducibility of the exterior square of each irreducible seven-dimensional $\mathbb{F}_q[G_2(q)]$-module.

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arXiv2017

A finite simple group is CCA if and only if it has no element of order four

A Cayley graph for a group $G$ is CCA if every automorphism of the graph that preserves the edge-orbits under the regular representation of $G$ is an element of the normaliser of $G$. A group $G$ is then said to be CCA if every connected Cayley graph on $G$ is CCA. We show that a finite simple group is CCA if and only if it has no element of order 4. We also show that "many" 2-groups are non-CCA.

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arXiv2017

Digraphs with small automorphism groups that are Cayley on two nonisomorphic groups

Let $\Gamma=\mathrm{Cay}(G,S)$ be a Cayley digraph on a group $G$ and let $A=\mathrm{Aut}(\Gamma)$. The Cayley index of $\Gamma$ is $|A:G|$. It has previously been shown that, if $p$ is a prime, $G$ is a cyclic $p$-group and $A$ contains a noncyclic regular subgroup, then the Cayley index of $\Gamma$ is superexponential in $p$. We present evidence suggesting that cyclic groups are exceptional in this respect. Specifically, we establish the contrasting result that, if $p$ is an odd prime and $G$ is abelian but not cyclic, and has order a power of $p$ at least $p^3$, then there is a Cayley digraph $\Gamma$ on $G$ whose Cayley index is just $p$, and whose automorphism group contains a nonabelian regular subgroup.

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