Related papers: A complete classification of shuffle groups

In this paper we study combinatorial aspects of permutations of $\{1,\ldots,n\}$ and related topics. In particular, we prove that there is a unique permutation $\pi$ of $\{1,\ldots,n\}$ such that all the numbers $k+\pi(k)$ ($k=1,\ldots,n$)…

In the cyclic-to-random shuffle, we are given n cards arranged in a circle. At step k, we exchange the k'th card along the circle with a uniformly chosen random card. The problem of determining the mixing time of the cyclic-to-random…

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 consider new types of perfect shuffles wherein a deck is split in half, one half of the deck is "reversed", and then the cards are interlaced. Flip shuffles are when the reversal comes from flipping the half over so that we also need to…

It is conjectured by Chen and Raspaud that for each integer $k \ge 2$, any graph $G$ with \[ \mathrm{mad}(G) < \frac{2k+1}{k} \quad\text{and}\quad \mathrm{odd\text{-}girth}(G) \ge 2k+1 \] admits a homomorphism into the Kneser graph…

A permutation group $(X,G)$ is said to be binary, or of relational complexity $2$, if for all $n$, the orbits of $G$ (acting diagonally) on $X^2$ determine the orbits of $G$ on $X^n$ in the following sense: for all $\bar{x},\bar{y} \in…

We study a conjecture by Deaconescu on the solubility of finite groups with claims that if more than half of the elements in a finite group has the same order $k$, then the group is soluble. We show that the original conjecture fails by…

In card games, in casino games with multiple decks of cards and in cryptography, one is sometimes faced with the following problem: how can a human (as opposed to a computer) shuffle a large deck of cards? The procedure we study is to break…

In 2003, H\'{e}thelyi and K\"{u}lshammer proposed that if $G$ is a finite group and $p$ is a prime dividing the group order, then $k(G)\geq 2\sqrt{p-1}$, and they proved this conjecture for solvable $G$ and showed that it is sharp for those…

In this thesis we introduce a new type of card shuffle called the one-sided transposition shuffle. At each step a card is chosen uniformly from the pack and then transposed with another card chosen uniformly from below it. This defines a…

We analyze the mixing time of a popular shuffling machine known as the shelf shuffler. It is a modified version of a $2m$-handed riffle shuffle ($m=10$ in casinos) in which a deck of $n$ cards is split multinomially into $2m$ piles, the…

The following combinatorial conjecture arises naturally from recent ergodic-theoretic work of Ackelsberg, Bergelson, and Best. Let $M_1$, $M_2$ be $k\times k$ integer matrices, $G$ be a finite abelian group of order $N$, and $A\subseteq…

The "carries" when n random numbers are added base b form a Markov chain with an "amazing" transition matrix determined by Holte. This same Markov chain occurs in following the number of descents or rising sequences when n cards are…

The paper contains a proof of the conjecture of M. Klin and D. Maru$\breve{\rm s}$i$\breve{\rm c}$ that an automorphism group of a transitive graph contains a permutation, decomposed in cycles of the same length. The proof is based on the…

Mechanical shufflers used in many casinos employ a card shuffling scheme called \emph{shelf shuffling}. In a single-shelf shuffling, cards arrive sequentially, and each incoming card is independently placed on the top or the bottom of a…

Inspired by a common technique for shuffling a deck of cards on a table without riffling, we continue the study of a prequel paper on the pile shuffle and its capabilities as a sorting device. We study two sort feasibility problems of…

In 1963, Anton Kotzig famously conjectured that $K_{n}$, the complete graph of order $n$, where $n$ is even, can be decomposed into $n-1$ perfect matchings such that every pair of these matchings forms a Hamilton cycle. The problem is still…

We study cyclically presented groups of type $\mathfrak{F}$ to determine when they are perfect. It turns out that to do so, it is enough to consider the Prishchepov groups, so modulo a certain conjecture, we classify the perfect Prishchepov…

The commuting probability of a finite group $G$ is the probability that two randomly chosen elements commute. Let $S\subseteq(0,1]$ denote the set of all possible commuting probabilities of finite groups. We prove that $S\cup\{0\}$ is…

We formulate and prove a new variant of the Segal Conjecture describing the group of homotopy classes of stable maps from the p-completed classifying space of a finite group G to the classifying space of a compact Lie group K as the p-adic…