Related papers: On Primitive Words I: A New Algorithm

Let $r \geq 2$ be an integer, $q$ a prime power and $\mathbb{F}_{q}$ the finite field with $q$ elements. Consider the problem of showing existence of primitive elements in a subset $\mathcal{A} \subseteq \mathbb{F}_{q^r}$. We prove a sieve…

A nonnegative matrix $A$ is called primitive if $A^k$ is positive for some integer $k>0$. A generalization of this concept to finite sets of matrices is as follows: a set of matrices $\mathcal M = \{A_1, A_2, \ldots, A_m \}$ is primitive if…

Let $w = w(x_1,..., x_n)$ be a word, i.e. an element of the free group $F =<x_1,...,x_n>$ on $n$ generators $x_1,..., x_n$. The verbal subgroup $w(G)$ of a group $G$ is the subgroup generated by the set $\{w (g_1,...,g_n)^{\pm 1} | g_i \in…

Given a group word $w$ and a group $G$, the set of $w$-values in $G$ is denoted by $G_w$ and the verbal subgroup $w(G)$ is the one generated by $G_w$. In the present paper we consider profinite groups admitting a word $w$ such that the…

A finitely generated group admits a decomposition, called its Grushko decomposition, into a free product of freely indecomposable groups. There is an algorithm to construct the Grushko decomposition of a finite graph of finite rank free…

Let $\mathbb{F}_{q^n}$ be a finite field with $q^n$ elements. For a positive divisor $r$ of $q^n-1$, the element $\alpha \in \mathbb{F}_{q^n}^*$ is called \textit{$r$-primitive} if its multiplicative order is $(q^n-1)/r$. Also, for a…

Let $F$ be a field and let $E$ be an \'etale algebra over $F$, that is, a finite product of finite separable field extensions $E = F_1 \times \dots \times F_r$. The classical primitive element theorem asserts that if $r = 1$, then $E$ is…

We prove new separability results about free groups. Namely, if $H_1, \ldots , H_k$ are infinite index, finitely generated subgroups of a non-abelian free group $F$, then there exists a homomorphism onto some alternating group $f:F…

Given a (finite or infinite) subset $X$ of the free monoid $A^*$ over a finite alphabet $A$, the rank of $X$ is the minimal cardinality of a set $F$ such that $X \subseteq F^*$. A submonoid $M$ generated by $k$ elements of $A^*$ is…

In the algebraic theory of codes and formal languages, the set $Q$ of all primitive words over some alphabet $\zi $ has received special interest. With this survey article we give an overview about relevant research to this topic during the…

Let $P_k$ be the subgroup generated by $k$th powers of primitive elements in $F_r$, the free group of rank $r$. We show that $F_2/P_k$ is finite if and only if $k$ is $1$, $2$, or $3$. We also fully characterize $F_2/P_k$ for $k = 2,3,4$.…

Primitive prime divisors play an important role in group theory and number theory. We study a certain number theoretic quantity, called $\Phi^*_n(q)$, which is closely related to the cyclotomic polynomial $\Phi_n(x)$ and to primitive prime…

For any subgroup H of Out(F_n), either H has a finite index subgroup that fixes the conjugacy class of some proper, nontrivial free factor of F_n, or H contains a fully irreducible element phi, meaning that no positive power of phi fixes…

A finite group $G$ is called $k$-factorizable if for every ordered factorization $|G|=a_1\cdots a_k$ into integers each greater than $1$ there exist subsets $A_1,\dots,A_k\subseteq G$ such that $|A_i|=a_i$ for each $i$ and $G=A_1\cdots…

An element w in the free group on r letters defines a map f from G^r to G for each group G. In this note, we show that whenever w is non-trivial and G is a semisimple algebraic group, f is dominant. When G is a finite simple group, the…

Can one detect free products of groups via their profinite completions? We answer positively among virtually free groups. More precisely, we prove that a subgroup of a finitely generated virtually free group $G$ is a free factor if and only…

Let $\mathbb{F}_{q^n}$ be a finite field with $q^n$ elements, and let $m_1$ and $m_2$ be positive integers. Given polynomials $f_1(x), f_2(x) \in \mathbb{F}_q[x]$ with $\textrm{deg}(f_i(x)) \leq m_i$, for $i = 1, 2$, and such that the…

We study fibers of word maps in finite, profinite, and residually finite groups. Our main result is that, for any word w in the free group on d generators, there exists $\epsilon > 0$ such that if G is a residually finite group with…

Let $r$, $n$ be positive integers, $k$ be a non-negative integer and $q$ be any prime power such that $r\mid q^n-1.$ An element $\alpha$ of the finite field $\mathbb{F}_{q^n}$ is called an {\it $r$-primitive} element, if its multiplicative…

We consider non-elementary representations of two generator free groups in $PSL(2,\mathbb{C})$, not necessarily discrete or free, $G = < A, B >$. A word in $A$ and $B$, $W(A,B)$, is a palindrome if it reads the same forwards and backwards.…