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Pierre de la Harpe

Publications and source records attributed to Pierre de la Harpe.

29 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
arXiv2010

Representation zeta functions of wreath products with finite groups

Let G be a group which has for all n a finite number r_n(G) of irreducible complex linear representations of dimension n. Let $ζ(G,s) = \sum_{n=1}^{\infty} r_n(G) n^{-s}$ be its representation zeta function. First, in case G is a permutational wreath product of H with a permutation group Q acting on a finite set X, we establish a formula for $ζ(G,s)$ in terms of the zeta functions of H and of subgroups of Q, and of the Moebius function associated with the lattice of partitions of X in orbits under subgroups of Q. Then, we consider groups W(Q,k) which are k-fold iterated wreath products of Q, and several related infinite groups W(Q), including the profinite group, a locally finite group, and several finitely generated groups, which are all isomorphic to a wreath product of themselves with Q. Under convenient hypotheses (in particular Q should be perfect), we show that r_n(W(Q)) is finite for all n, and we establish that the Dirichlet series $ζ(W(Q),s)$ has a finite and positive abscissa of convergence s_0. Moreover, the function $ζ(W(Q),s)$ satisfies a remarkable functional equation involving $ζ(W(Q),es)$ for e=1,...,|X|. As a consequence of this, we exhibit some properties of the function, in particular that $ζ(W(Q),s)$ has a singularity at s_0, a finite value at s_0, and a Puiseux expansion around s_0. We finally report some numerical computations for Q the simple groups of order 60 and 168.

math.GR↗
arXiv2008

The Chabauty space of closed subgroups of the three-dimensional Heisenberg group

When equipped with the natural topology first defined by Chabauty, the closed subgroups of a locally compact group $G$ form a compact space $\Cal C(G)$. We analyse the structure of $\Cal C(G)$ for some low-dimensional Lie groups, concentrating mostly on the 3-dimensional Heisenberg group $H$. We prove that $\Cal C(H)$ is a 6-dimensional space that is path--connected but not locally connected. The lattices in $H$ form a dense open subset $\Cal L(H) \subset \Cal C(H)$ that is the disjoint union of an infinite sequence of pairwise--homeomorphic aspherical manifolds of dimension six, each a torus bundle over $(\bold S^3 \smallsetminus T) \times \bold R$, where $T$ denotes a trefoil knot. The complement of $\Cal L(H)$ in $\Cal C(H)$ is also described explicitly. The subspace of $\Cal C(H)$ consisting of subgroups that contain the centre $Z(H)$ is homeomorphic to the 4--sphere, and we prove that this is a weak retract of $\Cal C(H)$.

math.GR↗
arXiv2008

Spaces of closed subgroups of locally compact groups

The set $\Cal C(G)$ of closed subgroups of a locally compact group $G$ has a natural topology which makes it a compact space. This topology has been defined in various contexts by Vietoris, Chabauty, Fell, Thurston, Gromov, Grigorchuk, and many others. The purpose of the talk was to describe the space $\Cal C(G)$ first for a few elementary examples, then for $G$ the complex plane, in which case $\Cal C(G)$ is a 4--sphere (a result of Hubbard and Pourezza), and finally for the 3--dimensional Heisenberg group $H$, in which case $\Cal C(H)$ is a 6--dimensional singular space recently investigated by Martin Bridson, Victor Kleptsyn and the author \cite{BrHK}. These are slightly expanded notes prepared for a talk given at several places: the Kortrijk workshop on {\it Discrete Groups and Geometric Structures, with Applications III,} May 26--30, 2008; the {\it Tripode 14,} École Normale Supérieure de Lyon, June 13, 2008; and seminars at the EPFL, Lausanne, and in the Université de Rennes 1. The notes do not contain any other result than those in \cite{BrHK}, and are not intended for publication.

math.GR↗
arXiv2008

Irreducibly represented groups

A group is irreducibly represented if it has a faithful irreducible unitary representation. For countable groups, a criterion for irreducible representability is given, which generalises a result obtained for finite groups by W. Gaschütz in 1954. In particular, torsionfree groups and infinite conjugacy class groups are irreducibly represented. We indicate some consequences of this for operator algebras. In particular, we charaterise up to isomorphism the countable subgroups $Δ$ of the unitary group of a separable infinite dimensional Hilbert space $\Cal H$ of which the bicommutants $Δ''$ (in the sense of the theory of von Neumann algebras) coincide with the algebra of all bounded linear operators on $\Cal H$.

math.GR↗
arXiv2006

The true prosoluble completion of a group: examples and open problems

The true prosoluble completion $P\Cal S (Γ)$ of a group $Γ$ is the inverse limit of the projective system of soluble quotients of $Γ$. Our purpose is to describe examples and to point out some natural open problems. We discuss a question of Grothendieck for profinite completions and its analogue for true prosoluble and true pronilpotent completions. 1. Introduction. 2. Completion with respect to a directed set of normal subgroups. 3. Universal property. 4. Examples of directed sets of normal subgroups. 5. True prosoluble completions. 6. Examples. 7. On the true prosoluble and the true pronilpotent analogues of Grothendieck's problem.

math.GR↗
arXiv2005

On simplicity of reduced C*-algebras of groups

A countable group is C*-simple if its reduced C*-algebra is a simple algebra. Since Powers recognised in 1975 that non-abelian free groups are C*-simple, large classes of groups which appear naturally in geometry have been identified, including non-elementary Gromov hyperbolic groups and lattices in semisimple groups. In this exposition, C*-simplicity for countable groups is shown to be an extreme case of non-amenability. The basic examples are described and several open problems are formulated.

math.OA↗
arXiv2005

Groupes fondamentaux des varietes de dimension 3 et algebres d'operateurs

We provide a geometric characterization of manifolds of dimension 3 with fundamental groups of which all conjugacy classes except 1 are infinite, namely of which the von Neumann algebras are factors of type $II_1$: they are essentially the 3-manifolds with infinite fundamental groups on which there does not exist any Seifert fibration. Otherwise said and more precisely, let $M$ be a compact connected 3-manifold and let $Γ$ be its fundamental group, supposed to be infinite and with at least one finite conjugacy class besides 1. If $M$ is orientable, then $Γ$ is the fundamental group of a Seifert manifold; if $M$ is not orientable, then $Γ$ is the fundamental group of a Seifert manifold modulo $\Bbb P$ in the sense of Heil and Whitten \cite{HeWh--94}. We make heavy use of results on 3-manifolds, as well classical results (as can be found in the books of Hempel, Jaco, and Shalen), as more recent ones (solution of the Seifert fibred space conjecture).

math.GR↗
arXiv2005

Decompositions de groupes par produit direct et groupes de Coxeter

We provide examples of groups which are indecomposable by direct product, and more generally which are uniquely decomposable in direct products of indecomposable groups. Examples include Coxeter groups, for which we give an alternative approach to recent results of L. Paris. For a finitely generated linear group Gamma, we establish an upper bound on the number of factors of which Gamma can be the direct product. If Gamma is moreover torsion-free, it follows that Gamma is uniquely decomposable in direct product of indecomposable groups.

math.GR↗
arXiv2005

Expanding graphs, Ramanujan graphs, and 1-factor perturbations

We construct (k+-1)-regular graphs which provide sequences of expanders by adding or substracting appropriate 1-factors from given sequences of k-regular graphs. We compute numerical examples in a few cases for which the given sequences are from the work of Lubotzky, Phillips, and Sarnak (with k-1 the order of a finite field). If k+1 = 7, our construction results in a sequence of 7-regular expanders with all spectral gaps at least about 1.52.

math.CO↗