We consider the Euler characteristics $\chi (M)$ of closed, orientable, topological $2n$ -manifolds with $(n-1)$ -connected universal cover and a given fundamental group G of type $F_n$ . We define $q_{2n}(G)$ , a generalised version of the Hausmann-Weinberger invariant [19] for 4–manifolds, as the minimal value of $(-1)^n\chi (M)$ . For all $n\geq 2$ , we establish a strengthened and extended version of their estimates, in terms of explicit cohomological invariants of G. As an application, we obtain new restrictions for nonabelian finite groups arising as fundamental groups of rational homology 4–spheres.

A classical result of Baer states that a finite group G which is the product of two normal supersoluble subgroups is supersoluble if and only if Gʹ is nilpotent. In this article, we show that if G = AB is the product of supersoluble (respectively, w-supersoluble) subgroups A and B, A is normal in G and B permutes with every maximal subgroup of each Sylow subgroup of A, then G is supersoluble (respectively, w-supersoluble), provided that Gʹ is nilpotent. We also investigate products of subgroups defined above when $ A\cap B=1 $ and obtain more general results.

Let G be a finite group and $\mathrm {Irr}(G)$ the set of all irreducible complex characters of G. Define the codegree of $\chi \in \mathrm {Irr}(G)$ as $\mathrm {cod}(\chi ):={|G:\mathrm {ker}(\chi ) |}/{\chi (1)}$ and denote by $\mathrm {cod}(G):=\{\mathrm {cod}(\chi ) \mid \chi \in \mathrm {Irr}(G)\}$ the codegree set of G. Let H be one of the $26$ sporadic simple groups. We show that H is determined up to isomorphism by cod$(H)$.

We consider rational representations of a connected linear algebraic group $\mathbb {G}$ over a field $k$ of positive characteristic $p > 0$. We introduce a natural extension $M \mapsto \Pi (\mathbb {G})_M$ to $\mathbb {G}$-modules of the $\pi$-point support theory for modules $M$ for a finite group scheme $G$ and show that this theory is essentially equivalent to the more ‘intrinsic’ and ‘explicit’ theory $M \mapsto \mathbb {P}\mathfrak{C}(\mathbb {G})_M$ of supports for an algebraic group of exponential type, a theory which uses $1$-parameter subgroups $\mathbb {G}_a \to \mathbb {G}$. We extend our support theory to bounded complexes of $\mathbb {G}$-modules, $C^\bullet \mapsto \Pi (\mathbb {G})_{C^\bullet }$. We introduce the tensor triangulated category $\mathit {StMod}(\mathbb {G})$, the Verdier quotient of the bounded derived category $D^b(\mathit {Mod}(\mathbb {G}))$ by the thick subcategory of mock injective modules. Our support theory satisfies all the ‘standard properties’ for a theory of supports for $\mathit {StMod}(\mathbb {G})$. As an application, we employ $C^\bullet \mapsto \Pi (\mathbb {G})_{C^\bullet }$ to establish the classification of $(r)$-complete, thick tensor ideals of $\mathit {stmod}(\mathbb {G})$ in terms of locally $\mathit {stmod}(\mathbb {G})$-realizable subsets of $\Pi (\mathbb {G})$ and the classification of $(r)$-complete, localizing subcategories of $\mathit {StMod}(\mathbb {G})$ in terms of locally $\mathit {StMod}(\mathbb {G})$-realizable subsets of $\Pi (\mathbb {G})$.

Let H be a subgroup of a finite group G and let $\alpha $ be a complex-valued $2$-cocycle of $G.$ Conditions are found to ensure there exists a nontrivial element of H that is $\alpha $-regular in $G.$ However, a new result is established allowing a prime by prime analysis of the Sylow subgroups of $C_G(x)$ to determine the $\alpha $-regularity of a given $x\in G.$ In particular, this result implies that every $\alpha _H$-regular element of a normal Hall subgroup H is $\alpha $-regular in $G.$

Let $\alpha $ be a complex-valued $2$-cocycle of a finite group $G.$ A new concept of strict $\alpha $-regularity is introduced and its basic properties are investigated. To illustrate the potential use of this concept, a new proof is offered to show that the number of orbits of G under its action on the set of complex-valued irreducible $\alpha _N$-characters of N equals the number of $\alpha $-regular conjugacy classes of G contained in $N,$ where N is a normal subgroup of $G.$

Using totally symmetric sets, Chudnovsky–Kordek–Li–Partin gave a superexponential lower bound on the cardinality of non-abelian finite quotients of the braid group. In this paper, we develop new techniques using multiple totally symmetric sets to count elements in non-abelian finite quotients of the braid group. Using these techniques, we improve the lower bound found by Chudnovsky et al. We exhibit totally symmetric sets in the virtual and welded braid groups and use our new techniques to find superexponential bounds for the finite quotients of the virtual and welded braid groups.

We introduce the combinatorial notion of a q-factorization graph intended as a tool to study and express results related to the classification of prime simple modules for quantum affine algebras. These are directed graphs equipped with three decorations: a coloring and a weight map on vertices, and an exponent map on arrows (the exponent map can be seen as a weight map on arrows). Such graphs do not contain oriented cycles and, hence, the set of arrows induces a partial order on the set of vertices. In this first paper on the topic, beside setting the theoretical base of the concept, we establish several criteria for deciding whether or not a tensor product of two simple modules is a highest-$\ell $-weight module and use such criteria to prove, for type A, that a simple module whose q-factorization graph has a totally ordered vertex set is prime.

This article studies the properties of word-hyperbolic semigroups and monoids, that is, those having context-free multiplication tables with respect to a regular combing, as defined by Duncan and Gilman [‘Word hyperbolic semigroups’, Math. Proc. Cambridge Philos. Soc. 136(3) (2004), 513–524]. In particular, the preservation of word-hyperbolicity under taking free products is considered. Under mild conditions on the semigroups involved, satisfied, for example, by monoids or regular semigroups, we prove that the semigroup free product of two word-hyperbolic semigroups is again word-hyperbolic. Analogously, with a mild condition on the uniqueness of representation for the identity element, satisfied, for example, by groups, we prove that the monoid free product of two word-hyperbolic monoids is word-hyperbolic. The methods are language-theoretically general, and apply equally well to semigroups, monoids or groups with a $\mathbf {C}$-multiplication table, where $\mathbf {C}$ is any reversal-closed super-$\operatorname {\mathrm {AFL}}$. In particular, we deduce that the free product of two groups with $\mathbf {ET0L}$ with respect to indexed multiplication tables again has an $\mathbf {ET0L}$ with respect to an indexed multiplication table.

We introduce “braided” versions of self-similar groups and Röver–Nekrashevych groups, and study their finiteness properties. This generalizes work of Aroca and Cumplido, and the first author and Wu, who considered the case when the self-similar groups are what we call “self-identical.” In particular, we use a braided version of the Grigorchuk group to construct a new group called the “braided Röver group,” which we prove is of type $\operatorname {\mathrm {F}}_\infty $. Our techniques involve using so-called d-ary cloning systems to construct the groups, and analyzing certain complexes of embedded disks in a surface to understand their finiteness properties.

Albert algebras, a specific kind of Jordan algebra, are naturally distinguished objects among commutative nonassociative algebras and also arise naturally in the context of simple affine group schemes of type $\mathsf {F}_4$ , $\mathsf {E}_6$ , or $\mathsf {E}_7$ . We study these objects over an arbitrary base ring R, with particular attention to the case $R = \mathbb {Z}$ . We prove in this generality results previously in the literature in the special case where R is a field of characteristic different from 2 and 3.

Consider Bernoulli bond percolation on a graph nicely embedded in hyperbolic space $\mathbb{H}^d$ in such a way that it admits a transitive action by isometries of $\mathbb{H}^d$ . Let $p_{\text{a}}$ be the supremum of all percolation parameters such that no point at infinity of $\mathbb{H}^d$ lies in the boundary of the cluster of a fixed vertex with positive probability. Then for any parameter $p < p_{\text{a}}$ , almost surely every percolation cluster is thin-ended, i.e. has only one-point boundaries of ends.

We categorify the commutation of Nakajima’s Heisenberg operators $P_{\pm 1}$ andtheir infinitely many counterparts in the quantum toroidal algebra $U_{q_1,q_2}(\ddot {gl_1})$ acting on the Grothendieck groups of Hilbert schemes from [10, 24, 26, 32]. By combining our result with [26], one obtains a geometric categorical $U_{q_1,q_2}(\ddot {gl_1})$ action on the derived category of Hilbert schemes. Our main technical tool is a detailed geometric study of certain nested Hilbert schemes of triples and quadruples, through the lens of the minimal model program, by showing that these nested Hilbert schemes are either canonical or semidivisorial log terminal singularities.

Let k be an algebraically closed field of prime characteristic p. Let $kGe$ be a block of a group algebra of a finite group G, with normal defect group P and abelian $p'$ inertial quotient L. Then we show that $kGe$ is a matrix algebra over a quantised version of the group algebra of a semidirect product of P with a certain subgroup of L. To do this, we first examine the associated graded algebra, using a Jennings–Quillen style theorem.

As an example, we calculate the associated graded of the basic algebra of the nonprincipal block in the case of a semidirect product of an extraspecial p-group P of exponent p and order $p^3$ with a quaternion group of order eight with the centre acting trivially. In the case of $p=3$ , we give explicit generators and relations for the basic algebra as a quantised version of $kP$ . As a second example, we give explicit generators and relations in the case of a group of shape $2^{1+4}:3^{1+2}$ in characteristic two.

We present a quantitative isolation property of the lifts of properly immersed geodesic planes in the frame bundle of a geometrically finite hyperbolic $3$-manifold. Our estimates are polynomials in the tight areas and Bowen–Margulis–Sullivan densities of geodesic planes, with degree given by the modified critical exponents.

We generalize the works of Pappas–Rapoport–Zhu on twisted affine Grassmannians to the wildly ramified case under mild assumptions. This rests on a construction of certain smooth affine $\mathbb {Z}[t]$ -groups with connected fibers of parahoric type, motivated by previous work of Tits. The resulting $\mathbb {F}_p(t)$ -groups are pseudo-reductive and sometimes non-standard in the sense of Conrad–Gabber–Prasad, and their $\mathbb {F}_p [\hspace {-0,5mm}[ {t} ]\hspace {-0,5mm}] $ -models are parahoric in a generalized sense. We study their affine Grassmannians, proving normality of Schubert varieties and Zhu’s coherence theorem.

A generating set S for a group G is independent if the subgroup generated by $S\setminus \{s\}$ is properly contained in G for all $s \in S.$ We describe the structure of finite groups G such that there are precisely two numbers appearing as the cardinalities of independent generating sets for G.

Let q be an odd prime power and suppose that $a,b\in \mathbb {F}_q$ are such that $ab$ and $(1{-}a)(1{-}b)$ are nonzero squares. Let $Q_{a,b} = (\mathbb {F}_q,*)$ be the quasigroup in which the operation is defined by $u*v=u+a(v{-}u)$ if $v-u$ is a square, and $u*v=u+b(v{-}u)$ if $v-u$ is a nonsquare. This quasigroup is called maximally nonassociative if it satisfies $x*(y*z) = (x*y)*z \Leftrightarrow x=y=z$. Denote by $\sigma (q)$ the number of $(a,b)$ for which $Q_{a,b}$ is maximally nonassociative. We show that there exist constants $\alpha \approx 0.029\,08$ and $\beta \approx 0.012\,59$ such that if $q\equiv 1 \bmod 4$, then $\lim \sigma (q)/q^2 = \alpha $, and if $q \equiv 3 \bmod 4$, then $\lim \sigma (q)/q^2 = \beta $.

A subset Y of the general linear group $\text{GL}(n,q)$ is called t-intersecting if $\text{rk}(x-y)\le n-t$ for all $x,y\in Y$ , or equivalently x and y agree pointwise on a t-dimensional subspace of $\mathbb{F}_q^n$ for all $x,y\in Y$ . We show that, if n is sufficiently large compared to t, the size of every such t-intersecting set is at most that of the stabiliser of a basis of a t-dimensional subspace of $\mathbb{F}_q^n$ . In case of equality, the characteristic vector of Y is a linear combination of the characteristic vectors of the cosets of these stabilisers. We also give similar results for subsets of $\text{GL}(n,q)$ that intersect not necessarily pointwise in t-dimensional subspaces of $\mathbb{F}_q^n$ and for cross-intersecting subsets of $\text{GL}(n,q)$ . These results may be viewed as variants of the classical Erdős–Ko–Rado Theorem in extremal set theory and are q-analogs of corresponding results known for the symmetric group. Our methods are based on eigenvalue techniques to estimate the size of the largest independent sets in graphs and crucially involve the representation theory of $\text{GL}(n,q)$ .

We classify all mutation-finite quivers with real weights. We show that every finite mutation class not originating from an integer skew-symmetrisable matrix has a geometric realisation by reflections. We also explore the structure of acyclic representatives in finite mutation classes and their relations to acute-angled simplicial domains in the corresponding reflection groups.