0000000000529843
AUTHOR
Karl H. Hofmann
showing 3 related works from this author
The probability that $x$ and $y$ commute in a compact group
2010
We show that a compact group $G$ has finite conjugacy classes, i.e., is an FC-group if and only if its center $Z(G)$ is open if and only if its commutator subgroup $G'$ is finite. Let $d(G)$ denote the Haar measure of the set of all pairs $(x,y)$ in $G \times G$ for which $[x,y] = 1$; this, formally, is the probability that two randomly picked elements commute. We prove that $d(G)$ is always rational and that it is positive if and only if $G$ is an extension of an FC-group by a finite group. This entails that $G$ is abelian by finite. The proofs involve measure theory, transformation groups, Lie theory of arbitrary compact groups, and representation theory of compact groups. Examples and re…
THE PROBABILITY THAT AND COMMUTE IN A COMPACT GROUP
2012
AbstractIn a recent article [K. H. Hofmann and F. G. Russo, ‘The probability that$x$and$y$commute in a compact group’,Math. Proc. Cambridge Phil Soc., to appear] we calculated for a compact group$G$the probability$d(G)$that two randomly selected elements$x, y\in G$satisfy$xy=yx$, and we discussed the remarkable consequences on the structure of$G$which follow from the assumption that$d(G)$is positive. In this note we consider two natural numbers$m$and$n$and the probability$d_{m,n}(G)$that for two randomly selected elements$x, y\in G$the relation$x^my^n=y^nx^m$holds. The situation is more complicated whenever$n,m\gt 1$. If$G$is a compact Lie group and if its identity component$G_0$is abelian,…
Near abelian profinite groups
2012
Abstract A compact p-group G (p prime) is called near abelian if it contains an abelian normal subgroup A such that G/A has a dense cyclic subgroup and that every closed subgroup of A is normal in G. We relate near abelian groups to a class of compact groups, which are rich in permuting subgroups. A compact group is called quasihamiltonian (or modular) if every pair of compact subgroups commutes setwise. We show that for p ≠ 2 a compact p-group G is near abelian if and only if it is quasihamiltonian. The case p = 2 is discussed separately.