Related papers: Random generation with cycle type restrictions

Suppose $\pi$ and $\pi'$ are two random elements of $S_n$ with constrained cycle types such that $\pi$ has $x n^{1/2}$ fixed points and $yn/2$ two-cycles, and likewise $\pi'$ has $x' n^{1/2}$ fixed points and $y'n/2$ two-cycles. We show…

We say that permutations $\pi_1,\dots, \pi_r \in \mathcal{S}_n$ invariably generate $\mathcal{S}_n$ if, no matter how one chooses conjugates $\pi'_1,\dots,\pi'_r$ of these permutations, $\pi'_1,\dots,\pi'_r$ generate $\mathcal{S}_n$. We…

The Ewens sampling formula with parameter $\alpha$ is the distribution on $S_n$ which gives each $\pi\in S_n$ weight proportional to $\alpha^{C(\pi)}$, where $C(\pi)$ is the number of cycles of $\pi$. We show that, for any fixed $\alpha$,…

A general explicit upper bound is obtained for the proportion $P(n,m)$ of elements of order dividing $m$, where $n-1 \le m \le cn$ for some constant $c$, in the finite symmetric group $S_n$. This is used to find lower bounds for the…

We consider the probability $p(S_n)$ that a pair of random permutations generates either the alternating group $A_n$ or the symmetric group $S_n$. Dixon (1969) proved that $p(S_n)$ approaches $1$ as $n\to\infty$ and conjectured that…

We study the number of random permutations needed to invariably generate the symmetric group, $S_n$, when the distribution of cycle counts has the strong $\alpha$-logarithmic property. The canonical example is the Ewens sampling formula,…

We prove a conjecture dating back to a 1978 paper of D.R.\ Musser~\cite{musserirred}, namely that four random permutations in the symmetric group $\mathcal{S}_n$ generate a transitive subgroup with probability $p_n > \epsilon$ for some…

We answer a question raised by Lanier about the possibility of generating $A_n$ and $S_n$ with two elements of order $k$, where $n \geqslant k \geqslant 3$. We show that this can always be done apart from some clear exceptions.

A subset of a group invariably generates the group if it generates even when we replace the elements by any of their conjugates. In a 2016 paper, Pemantle, Peres and Rivin show that the probability that four randomly selected elements…

In this article we consider the cycle structure of compositions of pairs of involutions in the symmetric group S_n chosen uniformly at random. These can be modeled as modified 2-regular graphs, giving rise to exponential generating…

In this paper we study algebraic and asymptotic properties of generating sets of algebras over orders in number fields. Let $A$ be an associative algebra over an order $R$ in an algebraic number field. We assume that $A$ is a free…

Let $g$, $h$ be a random pair of generators of $G=Sym(n)$ or $G=Alt(n)$. We show that, with probability tending to $1$ as $n\to \infty$, (a) the diameter of $G$ with respect to $S = \{g,h,g^{-1},h^{-1}\}$ is at most $O(n^2 (\log n)^c)$, and…

We use the fact that certain cosets of the stabilizer of points are pairwise conjugate in a symmetric group $S_n$ in order to construct recurrence relations for enumerating certain subsets of $S_n$. Occasionally one can find `closed form'…

In this paper we study different restrictions imposed over the set of permutations of size $n$, $S_n$, and for specific classes of restrictions study the cycle structure of corresponding permutations. More specifically, we prove that for…

We show how to generate random derangements efficiently by two different techniques: random restricted transpositions and sequential importance sampling. The algorithm employing restricted transpositions can also be used to generate random…

With high probability, among $O(\log n)$ independent randomly selected elements from a finite $n$-dimensional classical group, some pair of elements power to a $2$-element generating set for a naturally embedded classical subgroup of…

If eps > 0 and p >= n^{-1/2 + eps}, in a binomial random graph G(n,p) a.a.s. the set of cycles which can be constructed as a symmetric difference of Hamilton circuits is as large as parity by itself permits (all cycles if n is odd, all even…

We study `good elements' in finite $2n$-dimensional classical groups $G$: namely $t$ is a `good element' if $o(t)$ is divisible by a primitive prime divisor of $q^n-1$ for the relevant field order $q$, and $t$ fixes pointwise an $n$-space.…

We improve on recent estimates for the probability of generating the alternating and symmetric groups $\mathrm{Alt}(n)$ and $\mathrm{Sym}(n)$. In particular we find the sharp lower bound, if the probability is given by a quadratic in…

Let B(n) be the set of pairs of permutations from the symmetric group of degree n with a 3-cycle commutator, and let A(n) be the set of those pairs which generate the symmetric or the alternating group of degree n. We find effective…