arXiv subjects

Peter J. Cameron

Publications and source records attributed to Peter J. Cameron.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2022

Induced subgraphs of zero-divisor graphs

The zero-divisor graph of a finite commutative ring with unity is the graph whose vertex set is the set of zero-divisors in the ring, with $a$ and $b$ adjacent if $ab=0$. We show that the class of zero-divisor graphs is universal, in the sense that every finite graph is isomorphic to an induced subgraph of a zero-divisor graph. This remains true for various restricted classes of rings, including boolean rings, products of fields, and local rings. But in more restricted classes, the zero-divisor graphs do not form a universal family. For example, the zero-divisor graph of a local ring whose maximal ideal is principal is a threshold graph; and every threshold graph is embeddable in the zero-divisor graph of such a ring. More generally, we give necessary and sufficient conditions on a non-local ring for which its zero-divisor graph to be a threshold graph. In addition, we show that there is a countable local ring whose zero-divisor graph embeds the Rado graph, and hence every finite or countable graph, as induced subgraph. Finally, we consider embeddings in related graphs such as the $2$-dimensional dot product graph.

math.RA↗

arXiv2022

Enhanced power graphs of groups are weakly perfect

A graph is weakly perfect if its clique number and chromatic number are equal. We show that the enhanced power graph of a finite group $G$ is weakly perfect: its clique number and chromatic number are equal to the maximum order of an element of $G$. The proof requires a combinatorial lemma. We give some remarks about related graphs.

math.CO↗

arXiv2022

Integrals of groups II

An $integral$ of a group $G$ is a group $H$ whose commutator subgroup is isomorphic to $G$. This paper continues the investigation on integrals of groups started in the work arXiv:1803.10179. We study: (1) A sufficient condition for a bound on the order of an integral for a finite integrable group and a necessary condition for a group to be integrable. (2) The existence of integrals that are $p$-groups for abelian $p$-groups, and of nilpotent integrals for all abelian groups. (3) Integrals of (finite or infinite) abelian groups, including nilpotent integrals, groups with finite index in some integral, periodic groups, torsion-free groups and finitely generated groups. (4) The variety of integrals of groups from a given variety, varieties of integrable groups and classes of groups whose integrals (when they exist) still belong to such a class. (5) Integrals of profinite groups and a characterization for integrability for finitely generated profinite centreless groups. (6) Integrals of Cartesian products, which are then used to construct examples of integrable profinite groups without a profinite integral. We end the paper with a number of open problems.

math.GR↗

arXiv2022

Solvable conjugacy class graph of groups

In this paper we introduce the graph $Γ_{sc}(G)$ associated with a group $G$, called the solvable conjugacy class graph (abbreviated as SCC-graph), whose vertices are the nontrivial conjugacy classes of $G$ and two distinct conjugacy classes $C, D$ are adjacent if there exist $x \in C$ and $y \in D$ such that $\langle x, y\rangle$ is solvable. We discuss the connectivity, girth, clique number, and several other properties of the SCC-graph. One of our results asserts that there are only finitely many finite groups whose SCC-graph has given clique number~$d$, and we find explicitly the list of such groups with $d=2$.

math.CO↗

arXiv2022

String $C$-groups with real Schur index $2$

We give examples of finite string $C$-groups (the automorphism groups of abstract regular polytopes) that have irreducible characters of real Schur index $2$. This answers a problem of Monson concerning these groups.

math.GR↗

arXiv2021

Super graphs on groups, I

Let $G$ be a finite group. A number of graphs with the vertex set $G$ have been studied, including the power graph, enhanced power graph, and commuting graph. These graphs form a hierarchy under the inclusion of edge sets, and it is useful to study them together. In addition, several authors have considered modifying the definition of these graphs by choosing a natural equivalence relation on the group such as equality, conjugacy, or equal orders, and joining two elements if there are elements in their equivalence class that are adjacent in the original graph. In this way, we enlarge the hierarchy into a second dimension. Using the three graph types and three equivalence relations mentioned gives nine graphs, of which in general only two coincide; we find conditions on the group for some other pairs to be equal. These often define interesting classes of groups, such as EPPO groups, $2$-Engel groups, and Dedekind groups. We study some properties of graphs in this new hierarchy. In particular, we characterize the groups for which the graphs are complete, and in most cases, we characterize the dominant vertices (those joined to all others). Also, we give some results about universality, perfectness, and clique number. The paper ends with some open problems and suggestions for further work.

math.CO↗

arXiv2021

Subgroup sum graphs of finite abelian groups

Let $G$ be a finite abelian group, written additively, and $H$ a subgroup of~$G$. The \emph{subgroup sum graph} $Γ_{G,H}$ is the graph with vertex set $G$, in which two distinct vertices $x$ and $y$ are joined if $x+y\in H\setminus\{0\}$. These graphs form a fairly large class of Cayley sum graphs. Among cases which have been considered previously are the \emph{prime sum graphs}, in the case where $H=pG$ for some prime number $p$. In this paper we present their structure and a detailed analysis of their properties. We also consider the simpler graph $Γ^+_{G,H}$, which we refer to as the \emph{extended subgroup sum graph}, in which $x$ and $y$ are joined if $x+y\in H$: the subgroup sum is obtained by removing from this graph the partial matching of edges having the form $\{x,-x\}$ when $2x\ne0$. We study perfectness, clique number and independence number, connectedness, diameter, spectrum, and domination number of these graphs and their complements. We interpret our general results in detail in the prime sum graphs.

math.CO↗

arXiv2021

Automorphisms of shift spaces and the Higman-Thompson groups: the two-sided case

In this article, we further explore the nature of a connection between the groups of automorphisms of full shift spaces and the groups of outer automorphisms of the Higman--Thompson groups $\{G_{n,r}\}$. We show that the quotient of the group of automorphisms of the (two-sided) shift dynamical system $\mathrm{Aut}(X_n^{\mathbb{N}}, σ_{n})$ by its centre embeds as a particular subgroup $\mathcal{L}_{n}$ of the outer automorphism group $\mathop{\mathrm{Out}}(G_{n,n-1})$ of $G_{n,n-1}$. It follows by a result of Ryan that we have the following central extension: $$\langle σ_{n}\rangle \hookrightarrow \mathrm{Aut}(X_n^{\mathbb{N}}, σ_{n}) \twoheadrightarrow \mathcal{L}_{n}$$ where here, $\langle σ_{n} \rangle \cong \mathbb{Z}$. We prove that this short exact sequence splits if and only if $n$ is not a proper power, and, in all cases, we compute the 2-cocycles and 2-coboundaries for the extension. We also use this central extension to prove that for $1 \le r < n$, the groups $\mathop{\mathrm{Out}}(G_{n,r})$ are centreless and have undecidable order problem. Note that the group $\mathop{\mathrm{Out}}(G_{n,n-1})$ consists of finite transducers (combinatorial objects arising in automata theory), and elements of the group $\mathcal{L}_{n}$ are easily characterised within $\mathop{\mathrm{Out}}(G_{n,n-1})$ by a simple combinatorial property. In particular, the short exact sequence allows us to determine a new and efficient purely combinatorial representation of elements of $\mathrm{Aut}(X_n^{\mathbb{N}}, σ_{n})$, and we demonstrate how to compute products using this new representation.

math.GR↗

arXiv2021

Automorphisms of shift spaces and the Higman--Thompson groups: the one-sided case

Let $1 \le r < n$ be integers. We give a proof that the group $\mathop{\mathrm{Aut}}({X_{n}^{\mathbb{N}}, σ_{n}})$ of automorphisms of the one-sided shift on $n$ letters embeds naturally as a subgroup $\mathcal{H}_{n}$ of the outer automorphism group $\mathop{\mathrm{Out}}({G_{n,r}})$ of the Higman-Thompson group $G_{n,r}$. From this, we can represent the elements of $\mathop{\mathrm{Aut}}({X_{n}^{\mathbb{N}}, σ_{n}})$ by finite state non-initial transducers admitting a very strong synchronizing condition. Let $H \in \mathcal{H}_{n}$ and write $|H|$ for the number of states of the minimal transducer representing $H$. We show that $H$ can be written as a product of at most $|H|$ torsion elements. This result strengthens a similar result of Boyle, Franks and Kitchens, where the decomposition involves more complex torsion elements and also does not support practical \textit{a priori} estimates of the length of the resulting product. We also explore the number of foldings of de Bruijn graphs and give a counting result for these for word length $2$ and alphabet size $n$. Finally, we offer new proofs of some known results about $\mathop{\mathrm{Aut}}({X_{n}^{\mathbb{N}}, σ_{n}})$.

math.GR↗

arXiv2021

On finite groups whose power graph is a cograph

A $P_4$-free graph is called a cograph. In this paper we partially characterize finite groups whose power graph is a cograph. As we will see, this problem is a generalization of the determination of groups in which every element has prime power order, first raised by Graham Higman in 1957 and fully solved very recently. First we determine all groups $G$ and $H$ for which the power graph of $G\times H$ is a cograph. We show that groups whose power graph is a cograph can be characterised by a condition only involving elements whose orders are prime or the product of two (possibly equal) primes. Some important graph classes are also taken under consideration. For finite simple groups we show that in most of the cases their power graphs are not cographs: the only ones for which the power graphs are cographs are certain groups PSL$(2,q)$ and Sz$(q)$ and the group PSL$(3,4)$. However, a complete determination of these groups involves some hard number-theoretic problems.

math.GR↗

arXiv2021

Matching in power graphs of finite groups

The power graph $P(G)$ of a finite group $G$ is the undirected simple graph with vertex set $G$, where two elements are adjacent if one is a power of the other. In this paper, the matching numbers of power graphs of finite groups are investigated. We give upper and lower bounds, and conditions for the power graph of a group to possess a perfect matching. We give a formula for the matching number for any finite nilpotent group. In addition, using some elementary number theory, we show that the matching number of the enhanced power graph $P_e(G)$ of $G$ (in which two elements are adjacent if both are powers of a common element) is equal to that of the power graph of $G$.

math.CO↗

arXiv2021

Forbidden subgraphs of power graphs

The undirected power graph (or simply power graph) of a group $G$, denoted by $P(G)$, is a graph whose vertices are the elements of the group $G$, in which two vertices $u$ and $v$ are connected by an edge between if and only if either $u=v^i$ or $v=u^j$ for some $i$, $j$. A number of important graph classes, including perfect graphs, cographs, chordal graphs, split graphs, and threshold graphs, can be defined either structurally or in terms of forbidden induced subgraphs. We examine each of these five classes and attempt to determine for which groups $G$ the power graph $P(G)$ lies in the class under consideration. We give complete results in the case of nilpotent groups, and partial results in greater generality. In particular, the power graph is always perfect; and we determine completely the groups whose power graph is a threshold or split graph (the answer is the same for both classes). We give a number of open problems.

math.CO↗

arXiv2021

The geometry of diagonal groups

Diagonal groups are one of the classes of finite primitive permutation groups occurring in the conclusion of the O'Nan-Scott theorem. Several of the other classes have been described as the automorphism groups of geometric or combinatorial structures such as affine spaces or Cartesian decompositions, but such structures for diagonal groups have not been studied. The main purpose of this paper is to describe and characterise such structures, which we call diagonal semilattices. Unlike the diagonal groups in the O'Nan-Scott theorem, which are defined over finite characteristically simple groups, our construction works over any group, finite or infinite. A diagonal semilattice depends on a dimension m and a group T. For m=2, it is a Latin square, the Cayley table of T, though in fact any Latin square satisfies our axioms. However, for m>=3, the group T emerges naturally and uniquely from the axioms. (The situation somewhat resembles projective geometry, where projective planes exist in profusion but higher-dimensional structures are coordinatised by an algebraic object, a division ring.) A diagonal semilattice is contained in the partition lattice on a set, and we provide an introduction to the calculus of partitions. Many of the concepts and constructions come from experimental design in statistics. We also determine when a diagonal group can be primitive, or quasiprimitive (these conditions are equivalent for diagonal groups). Associated with the diagonal semilattice is a graph, the diagonal graph, which has the same automorphism group except in four small cases with m<=3. The class of diagonal graphs includes some well-known families, Latin-square graphs and folded cubes. We obtain partial results on the chromatic number of a diagonal graph, and mention an application to synchronization.

math.GR↗

arXiv2021

Infinitely many reducts of homogeneous structures

It is shown that the countably infinite dimensional pointed vector space (the vector space equipped with a constant) over a finite field has infinitely many first order definable reducts. This implies that the countable homogeneous Boolean-algebra has infinitely many reducts. Our construction over the 2-element field is related to the Reed--Muller codes.

math.LO↗

arXiv2021

Diagonal groups and arcs over groups

In an earlier paper by three of the present authors and Csaba Schneider, it was shown that, for $m\ge2$, a set of $m+1$ partitions of a set $Ω$, any $m$ of which are the minimal non-trivial elements of a Cartesian lattice, either form a Latin square (if $m=2$), or generate a join-semilattice of dimension $m$ associated with a diagonal group over a base group $G$. In this paper we investigate what happens if we have $m+r$ partitions with $r\geq 2$, any $m$ of which are minimal elements of a Cartesian lattice. If $m=2$, this is just a set of mutually orthogonal Latin squares. We consider the case where all these squares are isotopic to Cayley tables of groups, and give an example to show the groups need not be all isomorphic. For $m>2$, things are more restricted. Any $m+1$ of the partitions generate a join-semilattice admitting a diagonal group over a group $G$. It may be that the groups are all isomorphic, though we cannot prove this. Under an extra hypothesis, we show that $G$ must be abelian and must have three fixed-point-free automorphisms whose product is the identity. Under this hypothesis, such a structure gives an orthogonal array, and conversely in some cases. If the group is cyclic of prime order $p$, then the structure corresponds exactly to an arc of cardinality $m+r$ in the $(m-1)$-dimensional projective space over the field with $p$ elements, so all known results about arcs are applicable. More generally, arcs over a finite field of order $q$ give examples where $G$ is the elementary abelian group of order $q$. These examples can be lifted to non-elementary abelian groups using $p$-adic techniques.

math.CO↗

arXiv2021

Graphs defined on groups

These notes concern aspects of various graphs whose vertex set is a group $G$ and whose edges reflect group structure in some way (so that they are invariant under the action of the automorphism group of $G$). The graphs I will discuss are the power graph, enhanced power graph, deep commuting graph, commuting graph, and non-generating graph, though I give a briefer discussion of the nilpotence and solvability graphs, and make some remarks on more general graphs. Aspects to be discussed include induced subgraphs, forbidden subgraphs, connectedness, and automorphism groups. We can also ask about the graphs formed by the edges in one graph but not in an earlier graph in the hierarchy. I have included some results on intersection graphs of subgroups of various types, which are often in a dual relation to one of the other graphs considered. Another actor is the Gruenberg--Kegel graph, or prime graph, of a group: this very small graph influences various graphs defined on the group. I say little about Cayley graphs, since (except in special cases) these are not invariant under the automorphism group of $G$. The graphs all have the property that they contain \emph{twins}, pairs of vertices with the same neighbours (save possibly one another). Being equal or twins is an equivalence relation, and the automorphism group of the graph has a normal subgroup inducing the symmetric group on each twin class. For some purposes, we can merge twin vertices and get a smaller graph. Continuing until no further twins occur, the result is independent of the reduction, and is the $1$-vertex graph if and only if the original graph is a \emph{cograph}. So I devote a section to cographs and twin reduction, and another to consequences for automorphism groups. There are briefer discussions of related matters.

math.GR↗

arXiv2021

The diagonal graph

According to the O'Nan--Scott Theorem, a finite primitive permutation group either preserves a structure of one of three types (affine space, Cartesian lattice, or diagonal semilattice), or is almost simple. However, diagonal groups are a much larger class than those occurring in this theorem. For any positive integer $m$ and group $G$ (finite or infinite), there is a diagonal semilattice, a sub-semilattice of the lattice of partitions of a set $Ω$, whose automorphism group is the corresponding diagonal group. Moreover, there is a graph (the diagonal graph), bearing much the same relation to the diagonal semilattice and group as the Hamming graph does to the Cartesian lattice and the wreath product of symmetric groups. Our purpose here, after a brief introduction to this semilattice and graph, is to establish some properties of this graph. The diagonal graph $Γ_D(G,m)$ is a Cayley graph for the group~$G^m$, and so is vertex-transitive. We establish its clique number in general and its chromatic number in most cases, with a conjecture about the chromatic number in the remaining cases. We compute the spectrum of the adjacency matrix of the graph, using a calculation of the Möbius function of the diagonal semilattice. We also compute some other graph parameters and symmetry properties of the graph. We believe that this family of graphs will play a significant role in algebraic graph theory.

math.CO↗

arXiv2021

Tight quasi-symmetric designs

I give an elementary proof that a quasi-symmetric design without repeated blocks on $v$ points has at most $v\choose2$ blocks, with equality if and only if it is a tight $4$-design.

math.CO↗