We show that the restriction of the Dehornoy ordering to an appropriate free subgroup of the three-strand braid group defines a left-ordering of the free group on k generators, k>1, that has no convex subgroups.

The computation of growth series for the higher Baumslag–Solitar groups is an open problem first posed by de la Harpe and Grigorchuk. We study the growth of the horocyclic subgroup as the key to the overall growth of these Baumslag–Solitar groups BS(p,q), where 1<p<q. In fact, the overall growth series can be represented as a modified convolution product with one of the factors being based on the series for the horocyclic subgroup. We exhibit two distinct algorithms that compute the growth of the horocyclic subgroup and discuss the time and space complexity of these algorithms. We show that when p divides q, the horocyclic subgroup has a geodesic combing whose words form a context-free (in fact, one-counter) language. A theorem of Chomsky–Schützenberger allows us to compute the growth series for this subgroup, which is rational. When p does not divide q, we show that no geodesic combing for the horocyclic subgroup forms a context-free language, although there is a context-sensitive geodesic combing. We exhibit a specific linearly bounded Turing machine that accepts this language (with quadratic time complexity) in the case of BS(2,3) and outline the Turing machine construction in the general case.

A conjecture of Gromov states that a one-ended word-hyperbolic group must contain a subgroup that is isomorphic to the fundamental group of a closed hyperbolic surface. Recent papers by Gordon and Wilton and by Kim and Wilton give sufficient conditions for hyperbolic surface groups to be embedded in a hyperbolic Baumslag double G. Using Nielsen cancellation methods based on techniques from previous work by the second author, we prove that a hyperbolic orientable surface group of genus 2 is embedded in a hyperbolic Baumslag double if and only if the amalgamated word W is a commutator: that is, W = [U, V] for some elements U, V ∈ F. Furthermore, a hyperbolic Baumslag double G contains a non-orientable surface group of genus 4 if and only if W = X2Y2 for some X, Y ∈ F. G can contain no non-orientable surface group of smaller genus.

Shumyatsky and the second author proved that if G is a finitely generated residually finite p-group satisfying a law, then, for almost all primes p, the fact that a normal and commutator-closed set of generators satisfies a positive law implies that the whole of G also satisfies a (possibly different) positive law. In this paper, we construct a counterexample showing that the hypothesis of finite generation of the group G cannot be dispensed with.

We extend some results known for FC-groups to the class FC* of generalized FC-groups introduced in de Giovanni et al. [‘Groups with restricted conjugacy classes’, Serdica Math. J.28(3) (2002), 241–254]. The main theorems pertain to the join of pronormal subgroups. The relevant role that the Wielandt subgroup plays in an FC*-group is pointed out.

A finite group is called a CH-group if for every x,y∈G∖Z(G), xy=yx implies that . Applying results of Schmidt [‘Zentralisatorverbände endlicher Gruppen’, Rend. Sem. Mat. Univ. Padova44 (1970), 97–131] and Rebmann [‘F-Gruppen’, Arch. Math. 22 (1971), 225–230] concerning CA-groups and F-groups, the structure of CH-groups is determined, up to that of CH-groups of prime-power order. Upper bounds are found for the derived length of nilpotent and solvable CH-groups.

In this paper we construct the maximal subgroups of geometric type of the orthogonal groups in dimension d over GF(q) in O(d3+d2log q+log qlog log q) finite field operations.

We consider finite p-groups G in which every cyclic subgroup has at most p conjugates. We show that the derived subgroup of such a group has order at most p2. Further, if the stronger condition holds that all subgroups have at most p conjugates then the central factor group has order p4 at most.

Let G be a finitely generated group. We investigate the graph ΓM(G), whose vertices are the maximal subgroups of G and where two vertices M1 and M2 are joined by an edge whenever M1∩M2≠1. We show that if G is a finite simple group then the graph ΓM(G) is connected and its diameter is 62 at most. We also show that if G is a finite group, then ΓM(G) either is connected or has at least two vertices and no edges. Finite groups G with a nonconnected graph ΓM(G) are classified. They are all solvable groups, and if G is a finite solvable group with a connected graph ΓM(G), then the diameter of ΓM(G) is at most 2. In the infinite case, we determine the structure of finitely generated infinite nonsimple groups G with a nonconnected graph ΓM(G). In particular, we show that if G is a finitely generated locally graded group with a nonconnected graph ΓM(G), then G must be finite.

Let G be a discrete group.We give a decomposition theorem for the Hochschild cohomology of l1(G) with coefficients in certain G-modules. Using this we show that if G is commutative-transitive, the canonical inclusion of bounded cohomology of G into simplicial cohomology of l1(G) is an isomorphism.

Finite groups with abelian Sylow p-subgroups for certain primes p are characterized in terms of arithmetical properties of commutators.

A group is said to be, finitely co-Hopfian when it contains no proper subgroup of finite index isomorphic to itself. It is known that irreducible lattices in semisimple Lie groups are finitely co-Hopfian. However, it is not clear, and does not appear to be known, whether this property is preserved under direct product. We consider a strengthening of the finite co-Hopfian condition, namely the existence of a non-zero multiplicative invariant, and show that, under mild restrictions, this property is closed with respect to finite direct products. Since it is also closed with respect to commensurability, it follows that lattices in linear semisimple groups of general type are finitely co-Hopfian.

We study behaviours of the ‘equianharmonic’ parameter of the Grothendieck–Teichmüller group introduced by Lochak and Schneps. Using geometric construction of a certain one-parameter family of quartics, we realize the Galois action on the fundamental group of a punctured Mordell elliptic curve in the standard Galois action on a specific subgroup of the braid group . A consequence is to represent a matrix specialization of the ‘equianharmonic’ parameter in terms of special values of the adelic beta function introduced and studied by Anderson and Ihara.

Let G be a finite group. We prove that if the set of p-regular conjugacy class sizes of G has exactly two elements, then G has Abelian p-complement or G=PQ×A, with P∈Sylp(G), Q∈Sylq(G) and A Abelian.

We describe the group of all reflection-preserving automorphisms of an imprimitive complex reflection group. We also study some properties of this automorphism group.

The variety of topological groups generated by the class of all abelian kω-groups has been shown to equal the variety of topological groups generated by the free abelian topological group on [0, 1]. In this paper it is proved that the free abelian topological group on a compact Hausdorff space X generates the same variety if and only if X is not scattered.

We make several conjectures, and prove some results, pertaining to conjugacy classes of a given size in finite groups, especially in p-groups and 2-groups.

While the classification project for the simple groups of finite Morley rank is unlikely toproduce a classification of the simple groups of finite Morley rank, the enterprise has already arrived at a considerably closer approximation to that ideal goal than could have been realistically anticipated, with a mix of results of several flavors, some classificatory and others more structural, which can be combined when the stars are suitably aligned to produce results at a level of generality which, in parallel areas of group theory, would normally require either some additional geometric structure, or an explicit classification. And Bruno Poizat is generally awesome, though sometimes he goes too far.

We establish an identification result of the projective special linear group of dimension 2among a certain class of groups the Morley rank of which is finite.

For a group G and a real number x≥1 we let sG(x) denote the number of indices ≤x of subgroups of G. We call the function sG the subgroup density of G, and initiate a study of its asymptotics and its relation to the algebraic structure of G. We also count indices ≤x of maximal subgroups of G, and relate it to symmetric and alternating quotients of G.