Related papers: Derangements in simple and primitive groups

We examine the subgroup $D(G)$ of a transitive permutation group $G$ which is generated by the derangements in $G$. Our main results bound the index of this subgroup: we conjecture that, if $G$ has degree $n$ and is not a Frobenius group,…

In this paper, we continue our study of abstract representations of elementary subgroups of Chevalley groups of rank $\geq 2.$ First, we extend our earlier methods to analyze representations of elementary groups over arbitrary associative…

Our main goal is to study the freeness of Sch\"utzenberger groups defined by primitive substitutions. Our findings include a simple freeness test for these groups, which is applied to exhibit a primitive invertible substitution with…

Let $G$ be a nontrivial permutation group of degree $n$. If $G$ is transitive, then a theorem of Jordan states that $G$ has a derangement. Equivalently, a finite group is never the union of conjugates of a proper subgroup. If $G$ is…

Let $G$ be a subgroup of the symmetric group $S_n$. If the proportion of fixed-point-free elements in $G$ (or a coset) equals the proportion of fixed-point-free elements in $S_n$, then $G=S_n$. The analogue for $A_n$ holds if $n \ge 7$. We…

A quasi-semiregular element in a permutation group is an element that has a unique fixed point and acts semiregularly on the remaining points. Such elements were first studied in the context of automorphisms of graphs and occur naturally in…

We first obtain explicit upper bounds for the proportion of elements in a finite classical group G with a given characteristic polynomial. We use this to complete the proof that the proportion of elements of a finite classical group G which…

We study endomorphisms of a free group of finite rank by means of their action on specific sets of elements. In particular, we prove that every endomorphism of the free group of rank 2 which preserves an automorphic orbit (i.e., acts ``like…

We prove that if the group of fixed points of a generic automorphism of a simple group of finite Morley rank is pseudofinite, then this group is an extension of a (twisted) Chevalley group over a pseudofinite field. On the way to obtain…

In this paper we study finite semiprimitive permutation groups, that is, groups in which each normal subgroup is transitive or semiregular. We give bounds on the order, base size, minimal degree, fixity, and chief length of an arbitrary…

The divergence of a group is a quasi-isometry invariant defined in terms of pairs of points and lengths of paths avoiding a suitable ball around the identity. In this paper we study "random divergence'', meaning the divergence at two points…

The present survey aims at being a list of Conjectures and Problems in an area of model-theoretic algebra wide open for research, not a list of known results. To keep the text compact, it focuses on structures of finite Morley rank,…

The study of fixed point ratios is a classical topic in permutation group theory, with a long history stretching back to the origins of the subject in the 19th century. Fixed point ratios arise naturally in many different contexts, finding…

We propose a general conjecture on decompositions of finite simple groups as products of conjugates of an arbitrary subset. We prove this conjecture for bounded subsets of arbitrary finite simple groups, and for large subsets of groups of…

Let $G$ be a finite primitive permutation group and let $\kappa(G)$ be the number of conjugacy classes of derangements in $G$. By a classical theorem of Jordan, $\kappa(G) \geqslant 1$. In this paper we classify the groups $G$ with…

We study definably primitive pseudo-finite permutation groups of finite $SU$-rank. We show that if $(G,X)$ is such a permutation group, then the rank of $G$ can be bounded in terms of the rank of $X$, providing an analogue of a theorem of…

A derangement is a permutation with no fixed point, and a nonderangement is a permutation with at least one fixed point. There is a one-term recurrence for the number of derangements of $n$ elements, and we describe a bijective proof of…

The commuting probability of a finite group is defined to be the probability that two randomly chosen group elements commute. Let P \subset (0,1] be the set of commuting probabilities of all finite groups. We prove that every point of P is…

A transitive permutation group is semiprimitive if each of its normal subgroups is transitive or semiregular. Interest in this class of groups is motivated by two sources: problems arising in universal algebra related to collapsing monoids…

Let $G$ be a finite permutation group of degree $n$ and let ${\rm ifix}(G)$ be the involution fixity of $G$, which is the maximum number of fixed points of an involution. In this paper we study the involution fixity of almost simple…