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Let $G \leqslant {\rm Sym}(\Omega)$ be a finite transitive permutation group and recall that an element in $G$ is a derangement if it has no fixed points on $\Omega$. Let $\Delta(G)$ be the set of derangements in $G$ and define $\delta(G) = |\Delta(G)|/|G|$ and $\Delta(G)^2 = \{ xy \,:\, x,y \in \Delta(G)\}$. In recent years, there has been a focus on studying derangements in simple groups, leading to several remarkable results. For example, by combining a theorem of Fulman and Guralnick with recent work by Larsen, Shalev and Tiep, it follows that $\delta(G) \geqslant 0.016$ and $G = \Delta(G)^2$ for all sufficiently large simple transitive groups $G$. In this paper, we extend these results in several directions. For example, we prove that $\delta(G) \geqslant 89/325$ and $G = \Delta(G)^2$ for all finite simple primitive groups with soluble point stabilisers, without any order assumptions, and we show that the given lower bound on $\delta(G)$ is best possible. We also prove that every finite simple transitive group can be generated by two conjugate derangements, and we present several new results on derangements in arbitrary primitive permutation groups., Comment: 58 pages

A $k$-tuple $(H_1, \ldots, H_k)$ of core-free subgroups of a finite group $G$ is said to be regular if $G$ has a regular orbit on the Cartesian product $G/H_1 \times \cdots \times G/H_k$. The regularity number of $G$, denoted $R(G)$, is the smallest positive integer $k$ with the property that every such $k$-tuple is regular. In this paper, we develop some general methods for studying the regularity of subgroup tuples in arbitrary finite groups, and we determine the precise regularity number of all almost simple groups with an alternating or sporadic socle. For example, we prove that $R(S_n) = n-1$ and $R(A_n) = n-2$. We also formulate and investigate natural generalisations of several well-studied problems on base sizes for finite permutation groups, including conjectures due to Cameron, Pyber and Vdovin. For instance, we extend earlier work of Burness, O'Brien and Wilson by proving that $R(G) \leqslant 7$ for every almost simple sporadic group, with equality if and only if $G$ is the Mathieu group ${\rm M}_{24}$. We also show that every triple of soluble subgroups in an almost simple sporadic group is regular, which generalises recent work of Burness on base sizes for transitive actions of sporadic groups with soluble point stabilisers., Comment: 52 pages

In this paper, we determine the finite groups with a Sylow $r$-subgroup contained in a unique maximal subgroup. The proof involves a reduction to almost simple groups, and our main theorem extends earlier work of Aschbacher in the special case $r=2$. Several applications are presented. This includes some new results on weakly subnormal subgroups of finite groups, which can be used to study variations of the Baer-Suzuki theorem., Comment: 50 pages; to appear in Advances in Mathematics

Let $G = O^{p'}(\bar{G}^F)$ be a finite simple group of Lie type defined over a field of characteristic $p$, where $F$ is a Steinberg endomorphism of the ambient simple algebraic group $\bar{G}$. Let $\bar{T}$ be an $F$-stable maximal torus of $\bar{G}$ and set $N = N_G(\bar{T})$. A conjecture due to Vdovin asserts that if $G \not\cong {\rm L}_3(2)$ then $N \cap N^x$ is a $p$-group for some $x \in G$. In this paper, we use a combination of probabilistic and computational methods to calculate the base size for the natural action of $G$ on $G/N$, which allows us to prove a stronger, and suitably modified, version of Vdovin's conjecture., Comment: 33 pages; to appear in J Algebra

Let $G$ be a finite group, let $H$ be a core-free subgroup and let $b(G,H)$ denote the base size for the action of $G$ on $G/H$. Let $\alpha(G)$ be the number of conjugacy classes of core-free subgroups $H$ of $G$ with $b(G,H) \geqslant 3$. We say that $G$ is a strongly base-two group if $\alpha(G) \leqslant 1$, which means that almost every faithful transitive permutation representation of $G$ has base size $2$. In this paper we study the strongly base-two finite groups with trivial Frattini subgroup., Comment: 24 pages; to appear in the Vietnam Journal of Mathematics

Let $G$ be a simple algebraic group of exceptional type over an algebraically closed field of characteristic $p \geqslant 0$ which is not algebraic over a finite field. Let $\mathcal{C}_1, \ldots, \mathcal{C}_t$ be non-central conjugacy classes in $G$. In earlier work with Gerhardt and Guralnick, we proved that if $t \geqslant 5$ (or $t \geqslant 4$ if $G = G_2$), then there exist elements $x_i \in \mathcal{C}_i$ such that $\langle x_1, \ldots, x_t \rangle$ is Zariski dense in $G$. Moreover, this bound on $t$ is best possible. Here we establish a more refined version of this result in the special case where $p>0$ and the $\mathcal{C}_i$ are unipotent classes containing elements of order $p$. Indeed, in this setting we completely determine the classes $\mathcal{C}_1, \ldots, \mathcal{C}_t$ for $t \geqslant 2$ such that $\langle x_1, \ldots, x_t \rangle$ is Zariski dense for some $x_i \in \mathcal{C}_i$., Comment: 30 pages; to appear in Transformation Groups

Let $G$ be a finite simple group of Lie type and let $P$ be a Sylow $2$-subgroup of $G$. In this paper, we prove that for any nontrivial element $x \in G$, there exists $g \in G$ such that $G = \langle P, x^g \rangle$. By combining this result with recent work of Breuer and Guralnick, we deduce that if $G$ is a finite nonabelian simple group and $r$ is any prime divisor of $|G|$, then $G$ is generated by a Sylow $2$-subgroup and a Sylow $r$-subgroup., Comment: 17 pages; to appear in Contemporary Mathematics (Amitsur Centennial volume)

Let $G \leqslant {\rm Sym}(\Omega)$ be a finite permutation group and recall that the base size of $G$ is the minimal size of a subset of $\Omega$ with trivial pointwise stabiliser. There is an extensive literature on base sizes for primitive groups, but there are very few results for primitive groups of product type. In this paper, we initiate a systematic study of bases in this setting. Our first main result determines the base size of every product type primitive group of the form $L \wr P \leqslant {\rm Sym}(\Omega)$ with soluble point stabilisers, where $\Omega = \Gamma^k$, $L \leqslant {\rm Sym}(\Gamma)$ and $P \leqslant S_k$ is transitive. This extends recent work of Burness on almost simple primitive groups. We also obtain an expression for the number of regular suborbits of any product type group of the form $L \wr P$ and we classify the groups with a unique regular suborbit under the assumption that $P$ is primitive, which involves extending earlier results due to Seress and Dolfi. We present applications on the Saxl graphs of base-two product type groups and we conclude by establishing several new results on base sizes for general product type primitive groups., Comment: 41 pages, to appear in J. Pure Appl. Algebra

Let $G$ be a finite group, let $p$ be a prime and let ${\rm Pr}_p(G)$ be the probability that two random $p$-elements of $G$ commute. In this paper we prove that ${\rm Pr}_p(G) > (p^2+p-1)/p^3$ if and only if $G$ has a normal and abelian Sylow $p$-subgroup, which generalizes previous results on the widely studied commuting probability of a finite group. This bound is best possible in the sense that for each prime $p$ there are groups with ${\rm Pr}_p(G) = (p^2+p-1)/p^3$ and we classify all such groups. Our proof is based on bounding the proportion of $p$-elements in $G$ that commute with a fixed $p$-element in $G \setminus \textbf{O}_p(G)$, which in turn relies on recent work of the first two authors on fixed point ratios for finite primitive permutation groups., Comment: Revised according to referee's report. To appear in Algebra & Number Theory

Let $G$ be a finite primitive permutation group on a set $\Omega$ and recall that the fixed point ratio of an element $x \in G$, denoted ${\rm fpr}(x)$, is the proportion of points in $\Omega$ fixed by $x$. Fixed point ratios in this setting have been studied for many decades, finding a wide range of applications. In this paper, we are interested in comparing ${\rm fpr}(x)$ with the order of $x$. Our main theorem classifies the triples $(G,\Omega,x)$ as above with the property that $x$ has prime order $r$ and ${\rm fpr}(x) > 1/(r+1)$. There are several applications. Firstly, we extend earlier work of Guralnick and Magaard by determining the primitive permutation groups of degree $m$ with minimal degree at most $2m/3$. Secondly, our main result plays a key role in recent work of the authors (together with Moret\'{o} and Navarro) on the commuting probability of $p$-elements in finite groups. Finally, we use our main theorem to investigate the minimal index of a primitive permutation group, which allows us to answer a question of Bhargava., Comment: 66 pages; to appear in Adv. Math

Let $G$ be a finite insoluble group with soluble radical $R(G)$. In this paper we investigate the soluble graph of $G$, which is a natural generalisation of the widely studied commuting graph. Here the vertices are the elements in $G \setminus R(G)$, with $x$ adjacent to $y$ if they generate a soluble subgroup of $G$. Our main result states that this graph is always connected and its diameter, denoted $\delta_{\mathcal{S}}(G)$, is at most $5$. More precisely, we show that $\delta_{\mathcal{S}}(G) \leqslant 3$ if $G$ is not almost simple and we obtain stronger bounds for various families of almost simple groups. For example, we will show that $\delta_{\mathcal{S}}(S_n) = 3$ for all $n \geqslant 6$. We also establish the existence of simple groups with $\delta_{\mathcal{S}}(G) \geqslant 4$. For instance, we prove that $\delta_{\mathcal{S}}(A_{2p+1}) \geqslant 4$ for every Sophie Germain prime $p \geqslant 5$, which demonstrates that our general upper bound of $5$ is close to best possible. We conclude by briefly discussing some variations of the soluble graph construction and we present several open problems., Comment: 28 pages, to appear in JCTA

Let $G$ be a simple algebraic group over an algebraically closed field and let $X$ be an irreducible subvariety of $G^r$ with $r \geqslant 2$. In this paper, we consider the general problem of determining if there exists a tuple $(x_1, \ldots, x_r) \in X$ such that $\langle x_1, \ldots, x_r \rangle$ is Zariski dense in $G$. We are primarily interested in the case where $X = C_1 \times \cdots \times C_r$ and each $C_i$ is a conjugacy class of $G$ comprising elements of prime order modulo the center of $G$. In this setting, our main theorem gives a complete solution to the problem when $G$ is a symplectic or orthogonal group. By combining our results with earlier work on linear and exceptional groups, this gives a complete solution for all simple algebraic groups. We also present several applications. For example, we use our main theorem to show that many faithful representations of symplectic and orthogonal groups are generically free. We also establish new asymptotic results on the probabilistic generation of finite simple groups by pairs of prime order elements, completing a line of research initiated by Liebeck and Shalev over 25 years ago., Comment: 69 pages; to appear in J. Eur. Math. Soc. (JEMS)

Let $G$ be a finite non-regular primitive permutation group on a set $\Omega$ with point stabiliser $G_{\alpha}$. Then $G$ is said to be extremely primitive if $G_{\alpha}$ acts primitively on each of its orbits in $\Omega \setminus \{\alpha\}$, which is a notion dating back to work of Manning in the 1920s. By a theorem of Mann, Praeger and Seress, it is known that every extremely primitive group is either almost simple or affine, and all the almost simple examples have subsequently been determined. Similarly, Mann et al. have classified all of the affine extremely primitive groups up to a finite, but undetermined, collection of groups. Moreover, if one assumes Wall's conjecture on the number of maximal subgroups of an almost simple group, then there is an explicit list of candidates, each of which has been eliminated in a recent paper by Burness and Thomas. So, modulo Wall's conjecture, the classification of extremely primitive groups is complete. In this paper we adopt a different approach, which allows us to complete this classification in full generality, independent of the veracity or otherwise of Wall's conjecture in the almost simple setting. Our method relies on recent work of Fawcett, Lee and others on the existence of regular orbits of almost simple groups acting on irreducible modules., Comment: 11 pages; to appear in the Israel Journal of Mathematics

Let $G$ be a transitive permutation group on a finite set $\Omega$ and recall that a base for $G$ is a subset of $\Omega$ with trivial pointwise stabiliser. The base size of $G$, denoted $b(G)$, is the minimal size of a base. If $b(G)=2$ then we can study the Saxl graph $\Sigma(G)$ of $G$, which has vertex set $\Omega$ and two vertices are adjacent if they form a base. This is a vertex-transitive graph, which is conjectured to be connected with diameter at most $2$ when $G$ is primitive. In this paper, we combine probabilistic and computational methods to prove a strong form of this conjecture for all almost simple primitive groups with soluble point stabilisers. In this setting, we also establish best possible lower bounds on the clique and independence numbers of $\Sigma(G)$ and we determine the groups with a unique regular suborbit, which can be interpreted in terms of the valency of $\Sigma(G)$., Comment: 33 pages, to appear in Algebraic Combinatorics

Let $G$ be an almost simple sporadic group and let $H$ be a soluble subgroup of $G$. In this paper we prove that there exists $x,y \in G$ such that $H \cap H^x \cap H^y=1$, which is equivalent to the bound $b(G,H) \leqslant 3$ with respect to the base size of $G$ on the set of cosets of $H$. This bound is best possible. In this setting, our main result establishes a strong form of a more general conjecture of Vdovin on the intersection of conjugate soluble subgroups of finite groups. The proof uses a combination of computational and probabilistic methods., Comment: 18 pages; to appear in the Israel Journal of Mathematics

Fix a positive integer $d$ and let $\Gamma_d$ be the class of finite groups without sections isomorphic to the alternating group $A_d$. The groups in $\Gamma_d$ were studied by Babai, Cameron and P\'{a}lfy in the 1980s and they determined bounds on the order of a primitive permutation group with this property, which have found a wide range of applications. Subsequently, results on the base sizes of such groups were also obtained. In this paper we replace the structural conditions on the group by restrictions on its point stabilizers, and we obtain similar, and sometimes stronger conclusions. For example, we prove that there is a linear function $f$ such that the base size of any finite primitive group with point stabilizers in $\Gamma_d$ is at most $f(d)$. This generalizes a recent result of the first author on primitive groups with solvable point stabilizers. For non-affine primitive groups we obtain stronger results, assuming only that stabilizers of $c$ points lie in $\Gamma_d$. We also show that if $G$ is any permutation group of degree $n$ whose $c$-point stabilizers lie in $\Gamma_d$, then $|G| \leqslant ((1+o_c(1))d/e)^{n-1}$. This asymptotically extends and improves a $d^{n-1}$ upper bound on $|G|$ obtained by Babai, Cameron and P\'{a}lfy assuming $G \in \Gamma_d$., Comment: 19 pages; to appear in Journal of Algebra (special issue in memory of Jan Saxl)

Let $G$ be a nontrivial transitive permutation group on a finite set $\Omega$. An element of $G$ is said to be a derangement if it has no fixed points on $\Omega$. From the orbit counting lemma, it follows that $G$ contains a derangement, and in fact $G$ contains a derangement of prime power order by a theorem of Fein, Kantor and Schacher. However, there are groups with no derangements of prime order; these are the so-called elusive groups and they have been widely studied in recent years. Extending this notion, we say that $G$ is almost elusive if it contains a unique conjugacy class of derangements of prime order. In this paper we first prove that every quasiprimitive almost elusive group is either almost simple or $2$-transitive of affine type. We then classify all the almost elusive groups that are almost simple and primitive with socle an alternating group, a sporadic group, or a rank one group of Lie type., Comment: 19 pages, to appear in J. Algebra

Let $G$ be a finite group and recall that the Frattini subgroup ${\rm Frat}(G)$ is the intersection of all the maximal subgroups of $G$. In this paper, we investigate the intersection number of $G$, denoted $\alpha(G)$, which is the minimal number of maximal subgroups whose intersection coincides with ${\rm Frat}(G)$. In earlier work, we studied $\alpha(G)$ in the special case where $G$ is simple and here we extend the analysis to almost simple groups. In particular, we prove that $\alpha(G) \leqslant 4$ for every almost simple group $G$, which is best possible. We also establish new results on the intersection number of arbitrary finite groups, obtaining upper bounds that are defined in terms of the chief factors of the group. Finally, for almost simple groups $G$ we present best possible bounds on a related invariant $\beta(G)$, which we call the base number of $G$. In this setting, $\beta(G)$ is the minimal base size of $G$ as we range over all faithful primitive actions of the group and we prove that the bound $\beta(G) \leqslant 4$ is optimal. Along the way, we study bases for the primitive action of the symmetric group $S_{ab}$ on the set of partitions of $[1,ab]$ into $a$ parts of size $b$, determining the exact base size for $a \geqslant b$. This extends earlier work of Benbenishty, Cohen and Niemeyer., Comment: 29 pages, to appear in Transactions of the LMS

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 primitive groups whose socle $T$ is an alternating or sporadic group; our main result classifies the groups of this form with ${\rm ifix}(T) \leqslant n^{4/9}$. This builds on earlier work of Burness and Thomas, who studied the case where $T$ is an exceptional group of Lie type, and it strengthens the bound ${\rm ifix}(T) > n^{1/6}$ (with prescribed exceptions), which was proved by Liebeck and Shalev in 2015. A similar result for classical groups will be established in a sequel., Comment: 14 pages; to appear in Proc. Edinb. Math. Soc

Let $G$ be a finite primitive permutation group on a set $\Omega$ with point stabiliser $H$. Recall that a subset of $\Omega$ is a base for $G$ if its pointwise stabiliser is trivial. We define the base size of $G$, denoted $b(G,H)$, to be the minimal size of a base for $G$. Determining the base size of a group is a fundamental problem in permutation group theory, with a long history stretching back to the 19th century. Here one of our main motivations is a theorem of Seress from 1996, which states that $b(G,H) \leqslant 4$ if $G$ is soluble. In this paper we extend Seress' result by proving that $b(G,H) \leqslant 5$ for all finite primitive groups $G$ with a soluble point stabiliser $H$. This bound is best possible. We also determine the exact base size for all almost simple groups and we study random bases in this setting. For example, we prove that the probability that $4$ random elements in $\Omega$ form a base tends to $1$ as $|G|$ tends to infinity., Comment: 43 pages; to appear in Algebra and Number Theory

A group $G$ is said to be $\frac{3}{2}$-generated if every nontrivial element belongs to a generating pair. It is easy to see that if $G$ has this property then every proper quotient of $G$ is cyclic. In this paper we prove that the converse is true for finite groups, which settles a conjecture of Breuer, Guralnick and Kantor from 2008. In fact, we prove a much stronger result, which solves a problem posed by Brenner and Wiegold in 1975. Namely, if $G$ is a finite group and every proper quotient of $G$ is cyclic, then for any pair of nontrivial elements $x_1,x_2 \in G$, there exists $y \in G$ such that $G = \langle x_1, y \rangle = \langle x_2, y \rangle$. In other words, $s(G) \geqslant 2$, where $s(G)$ is the spread of $G$. Moreover, if $u(G)$ denotes the more restrictive uniform spread of $G$, then we can completely characterise the finite groups $G$ with $u(G) = 0$ and $u(G)=1$. To prove these results, we first establish a reduction to almost simple groups. For simple groups, the result was proved by Guralnick and Kantor in 2000 using probabilistic methods and since then the almost simple groups have been the subject of several papers. By combining our reduction theorem and this earlier work, it remains to handle the groups whose socles are exceptional groups of Lie type and this is the case we treat in this paper., Comment: 48 pages; to appear in Annals of Mathematics

Let $G$ be a finite primitive permutation group on a set $\Omega$ with nontrivial point stabilizer $G_{\alpha}$. We say that $G$ is extremely primitive if $G_{\alpha}$ acts primitively on each of its orbits in $\Omega \setminus \{\alpha\}$. In earlier work, Mann, Praeger and Seress have proved that every extremely primitive group is either almost simple or of affine type and they have classified the affine groups up to the possibility of at most finitely many exceptions. More recently, the almost simple extremely primitive groups have been completely determined. If one assumes Wall's conjecture on the number of maximal subgroups of almost simple groups, then the results of Mann et al. show that it just remains to eliminate an explicit list of affine groups in order to complete the classification of the extremely primitive groups. Mann et al. have conjectured that none of these affine candidates are extremely primitive and our main result confirms this conjecture., Comment: 8 pages; to appear in Arch. Math

Let $G$ be a finite primitive permutation group on a set $\Omega$ with nontrivial point stabilizer $G_{\alpha}$. We say that $G$ is extremely primitive if $G_{\alpha}$ acts primitively on each of its orbits in $\Omega \setminus \{\alpha\}$. These groups arise naturally in several different contexts and their study can be traced back to work of Manning in the 1920s. In this paper, we determine the almost simple extremely primitive groups with socle an exceptional group of Lie type. By combining this result with earlier work of Burness, Praeger and Seress, this completes the classification of the almost simple extremely primitive groups. Moreover, in view of results by Mann, Praeger and Seress, our main theorem gives a complete classification of all finite extremely primitive groups, up to finitely many affine exceptions (and it is conjectured that there are no exceptions). Along the way, we also establish several new results on base sizes for primitive actions of exceptional groups, which may be of independent interest., Comment: 64 pages; to appear in IMRN

Let $G$ be a finite almost simple group with socle $G_0$. A (nontrivial) factorization of $G$ is an expression of the form $G=HK$, where the factors $H$ and $K$ are core-free subgroups. There is an extensive literature on factorizations of almost simple groups, with important applications in permutation group theory and algebraic graph theory. In a recent paper, Li and Xia describe the factorizations of almost simple groups with a solvable factor $H$. Several infinite families arise in the context of classical groups and in each case a solvable subgroup of $G_0$ containing $H \cap G_0$ is identified. Building on this earlier work, in this paper we compute a sharp lower bound on the order of a solvable factor of every almost simple group and we determine the exact factorizations with a solvable factor. As an application, we describe the finite primitive permutation groups with a nilpotent regular subgroup, extending classical results of Burnside and Schur on cyclic regular subgroups, and more recent work of Li in the abelian case., Comment: 29 pages; to appear in Advances in Math

Let $G$ be a simple algebraic group over an algebraically closed field $k$ and let $C_1, \ldots, C_t$ be non-central conjugacy classes in $G$. In this paper, we consider the problem of determining whether there exist $g_i \in C_i$ such that $\langle g_1, \ldots, g_t \rangle$ is Zariski dense in $G$. First we establish a general result, which shows that if $\Omega$ is an irreducible subvariety of $G^t$, then the set of tuples in $\Omega$ generating a dense subgroup of $G$ is either empty or dense in $\Omega$. In the special case $\Omega = C_1 \times \cdots \times C_t$, by considering the dimensions of fixed point spaces, we prove that this set is dense when $G$ is an exceptional algebraic group and $t \geqslant 5$, assuming $k$ is not algebraic over a finite field. In fact, for $G=G_2$ we only need $t \geqslant 4$ and both of these bounds are best possible. As an application, we show that many faithful representations of exceptional algebraic groups are generically free. We also establish new results on the topological generation of exceptional groups in the special case $t=2$, which have applications to random generation of finite exceptional groups of Lie type. In particular, we prove a conjecture of Liebeck and Shalev on the random $(r,s)$-generation of exceptional groups., Comment: 40 pages; to appear in Advances in Mathematics

Let $G$ be a finite group and let $\mathcal{M}$ be a set of maximal subgroups of $G$. We say that $\mathcal{M}$ is irredundant if the intersection of the subgroups in $\mathcal{M}$ is not equal to the intersection of any proper subset. The minimal dimension of $G$, denoted ${\rm Mindim}(G)$, is the minimal size of a maximal irredundant set of maximal subgroups of $G$. This invariant was recently introduced by Garonzi and Lucchini and they computed the minimal dimension of the alternating groups. In this paper, we prove that ${\rm Mindim}(G) \leqslant 3$ for all finite simple groups, which is best possible, and we compute the exact value for all non-classical simple groups. We also introduce and study two closely related invariants denoted by $\alpha(G)$ and $\beta(G)$. Here $\alpha(G)$ (respectively $\beta(G)$) is the minimal size of a set of maximal subgroups (respectively, conjugate maximal subgroups) of $G$ whose intersection coincides with the Frattini subgroup of $G.$ Evidently, ${\rm Mindim}(G) \leqslant \alpha(G) \leqslant \beta(G)$. For a simple group $G$ we show that $\beta(G) \leqslant 4$ and $\beta(G) - \alpha(G) \leqslant 1$, and both upper bounds are best possible., Comment: 24 pages; to appear in J. Combin. Theory Ser. A

Let $G$ be a finite $2$-generated non-cyclic group. The spread of $G$ is the largest integer $k$ such that for any nontrivial elements $x_1, \ldots, x_k$, there exists $y \in G$ such that $G = \langle x_i, y\rangle$ for all $i$. The more restrictive notion of uniform spread, denoted $u(G)$, requires $y$ to be chosen from a fixed conjugacy class of $G$, and a theorem of Breuer, Guralnick and Kantor states that $u(G) \geqslant 2$ for every non-abelian finite simple group $G$. For any group with $u(G) \geqslant 1$, we define the uniform domination number $\gamma_u(G)$ of $G$ to be the minimal size of a subset $S$ of conjugate elements such that for each nontrivial $x \in G$ there exists $y \in S$ with $G = \langle x, y \rangle$ (in this situation, we say that $S$ is a uniform dominating set for $G$). We introduced the latter notion in a recent paper, where we used probabilistic methods to determine close to best possible bounds on $\gamma_u(G)$ for all simple groups $G$. In this paper we establish several new results on the spread, uniform spread and uniform domination number of finite groups and finite simple groups. For example, we make substantial progress towards a classification of the simple groups $G$ with $\gamma_u(G)=2$, and we study the associated probability that two randomly chosen conjugate elements form a uniform dominating set for $G$. We also establish new results concerning the $2$-generation of soluble and symmetric groups, and we present several open problems., Comment: 60 pages; to appear in Israel Journal of Mathematics

Let $G$ be a connected Lie group. An unrefinable chain of $G$ is a chain of subgroups $G = G_0 > G_1 > \cdots > G_t = 1$, where each $G_i$ is a maximal connected subgroup of $G_{i-1}$. In this paper, we introduce the notion of the length (respectively, depth) of $G$, defined as the maximal (respectively, minimal) length of such a chain, and we establish several new results for compact groups. In particular, we compute the exact length and depth of every compact simple Lie group, and draw conclusions for arbitrary connected compact Lie groups $G$. We obtain best possible bounds on the length of $G$ in terms of its dimension, and characterize the connected compact Lie groups that have equal length and depth. The latter result generalizes a well known theorem of Iwasawa for finite groups. More generally, we establish a best possible upper bound on $\dim G'$ in terms of the chain difference of $G$, which is its length minus its depth., Comment: 18 pages; to appear in Math. Z

Let $G \leqslant {\rm Sym}(\Omega)$ be a finite almost simple primitive permutation group, with socle $G_0$ and point stabilizer $H$. A subset of $\Omega$ is a base for $G$ if its pointwise stabilizer is trivial; the base size of $G$, denoted $b(G)$, is the minimal size of a base. We say that $G$ is standard if $G_0 = A_n$ and $\Omega$ is an orbit of subsets or partitions of $\{1, \ldots, n\}$, or if $G_0$ is a classical group and $\Omega$ is an orbit of subspaces (or pairs of subspaces) of the natural module for $G_0$. The base size of a standard group can be arbitrarily large, in general, whereas the situation for non-standard groups is rather more restricted. Indeed, we have $b(G) \leqslant 7$ for every non-standard group $G$, with equality if and only if $G$ is the Mathieu group ${\rm M}_{24}$ in its natural action on $24$ points. In this paper, we extend this result by classifying the non-standard groups with $b(G)=6$. The main tools include recent work on bases for actions of simple algebraic groups, together with probabilistic methods and improved fixed point ratio estimates for exceptional groups of Lie type., Comment: 27 pages; to appear in J. Algebra

Let $G$ be a simple linear algebraic group over an algebraically closed field $K$ of characteristic $p \geqslant 0$, let $H$ be a proper closed subgroup of $G$ and let $V$ be a nontrivial finite dimensional irreducible rational $KG$-module. We say that $(G,H,V)$ is an irreducible triple if $V$ is irreducible as a $KH$-module. Determining these triples is a fundamental problem in the representation theory of algebraic groups, which arises naturally in the study of the subgroup structure of classical groups. In the 1980s, Seitz and Testerman extended earlier work of Dynkin on connected subgroups in characteristic zero to all algebraically closed fields. In this article we will survey recent advances towards a classification of irreducible triples for all positive dimensional subgroups of simple algebraic groups., Comment: 31 pages; to appear in the Proceedings of Groups St Andrews 2017

An unrefinable chain of a finite group $G$ is a chain of subgroups $G = G_0 > G_1 > \cdots > G_t = 1$, where each $G_i$ is a maximal subgroup of $G_{i-1}$. The length (respectively, depth) of $G$ is the maximal (respectively, minimal) length of such a chain. We studied the depth of finite simple groups in a previous paper, which included a classification of the simple groups of depth $3$. Here we go much further by determining the finite groups of depth $3$ and $4$. We also obtain several new results on the lengths of finite groups. For example, we classify the simple groups of length at most $9$, which extends earlier work of Janko and Harada from the 1960s, and we use this to describe the structure of arbitrary finite groups of small length. We also present a number-theoretic result of Heath-Brown, which implies that there are infinitely many non-abelian simple groups of length at most $9$. Finally we study the chain difference of $G$ (namely the length minus the depth). We obtain results on groups with chain difference $1$ and $2$, including a complete classification of the simple groups with chain difference $2$, extending earlier work of Brewster et al. We also derive a best possible lower bound on the chain ratio (the length divided by the depth) of simple groups, which yields an explicit linear bound on the length of $G/R(G)$ in terms of the chain difference of $G$, where $R(G)$ is the soluble radical of $G$., Comment: 29 pages; to appear in Proc. London Math. Soc

Let $G$ be a connected algebraic group. An unrefinable chain of $G$ is a chain of subgroups $G = G_0 > G_1 > \cdots > G_t = 1$, where each $G_i$ is a maximal connected subgroup of $G_{i-1}$. We introduce the notion of the length (respectively, depth) of $G$, defined as the maximal (respectively, minimal) length of such a chain. Working over an algebraically closed field, we calculate the length of a connected group $G$ in terms of the dimension of its unipotent radical $R_u(G)$ and the dimension of a Borel subgroup $B$ of the reductive quotient $G/R_u(G)$. In particular, a simple algebraic group of rank $r$ has length $\dim B + r$, which gives a natural extension of a theorem of Solomon and Turull on finite quasisimple groups of Lie type. We then deduce that the length of any connected algebraic group $G$ exceeds $\frac{1}{2} \dim G$. We also study the depth of simple algebraic groups. In characteristic zero, we show that the depth of such a group is at most $6$ (this bound is sharp). In the positive characteristic setting, we calculate the exact depth of each exceptional algebraic group and we prove that the depth of a classical group (over a fixed algebraically closed field of positive characteristic) tends to infinity with the rank of the group. Finally we study the chain difference of an algebraic group, which is the difference between its length and its depth. In particular we prove that, for any connected algebraic group $G$, the dimension of $G/R(G)$ is bounded above in terms of the chain difference of $G$., Comment: 18 pages; to appear in Math. Z

Let $G$ be a permutation group on a set $\Omega$. A subset of $\Omega$ is a base for $G$ if its pointwise stabiliser in $G$ is trivial. In this paper we introduce and study an associated graph $\Sigma(G)$, which we call the Saxl graph of $G$. The vertices of $\Sigma(G)$ are the points of $\Omega$, and two vertices are adjacent if they form a base for $G$. This graph encodes some interesting properties of the permutation group. We investigate the connectivity of $\Sigma(G)$ for a finite transitive group $G$, as well as its diameter, Hamiltonicity, clique and independence numbers, and we present several open problems. For instance, we conjecture that if $G$ is a primitive group with a base of size $2$, then the diameter of $\Sigma(G)$ is at most $2$. Using a probabilistic approach, we establish the conjecture for some families of almost simple groups. For example, the conjecture holds when $G=S_n$ or $A_n$ (with $n>12$) and the point stabiliser of $G$ is a primitive subgroup. In contrast, we can construct imprimitive groups whose Saxl graph is disconnected with arbitrarily many connected components, or connected with arbitrarily large diameter., Comment: 27 pages; to appear in Math. Proc. Cambridge Philos. Soc

It is well known that every finite simple group can be generated by two elements and this leads to a wide range of problems that have been the focus of intensive research in recent years. In this survey article we discuss some of the extraordinary generation properties of simple groups, focussing on topics such as random generation, $(a,b)$-generation and spread, as well as highlighting the application of probabilistic methods in the proofs of many of the main results. We also present some recent work on the minimal generation of maximal and second maximal subgroups of simple groups, which has applications to the study of subgroup growth and the generation of primitive permutation groups., Comment: 30 pages; survey article based on my lecture at Groups St Andrews 2017

Let $G$ be a finite simple group. By a theorem of Guralnick and Kantor, $G$ contains a conjugacy class $C$ such that for each non-identity element $x \in G$, there exists $y \in C$ with $G = \langle x,y\rangle$. Building on this deep result, we introduce a new invariant $\gamma_u(G)$, which we call the uniform domination number of $G$. This is the minimal size of a subset $S$ of conjugate elements such that for each $1 \ne x \in G$, there exists $s \in S$ with $G = \langle x, s \rangle$. (This invariant is closely related to the total domination number of the generating graph of $G$, which explains our choice of terminology.) By the result of Guralnick and Kantor, we have $\gamma_u(G) \leqslant |C|$ for some conjugacy class $C$ of $G$, and the aim of this paper is to determine close to best possible bounds on $\gamma_u(G)$ for each family of simple groups. For example, we will prove that there are infinitely many non-abelian simple groups $G$ with $\gamma_u(G) = 2$. To do this, we develop a probabilistic approach, based on fixed point ratio estimates. We also establish a connection to the theory of bases for permutation groups, which allows us to apply recent results on base sizes for primitive actions of simple groups., Comment: 35 pages; to appear in Trans. Amer. Math. Soc

We introduce the notion of the depth of a finite group $G$, defined as the minimal length of an unrefinable chain of subgroups from $G$ to the trivial subgroup. In this paper we investigate the depth of (non-abelian) finite simple groups. We determine the simple groups of minimal depth, and show, somewhat surprisingly, that alternating groups have bounded depth. We also establish general upper bounds on the depth of simple groups of Lie type, and study the relation between the depth and the much studied notion of the length of simple groups. The proofs of our main theorems depend (among other tools) on a deep number-theoretic result, namely, Helfgott's recent solution of the ternary Goldbach conjecture., Comment: 15 pages; to appear in Proc. Amer. Math. Soc

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 a wide range of applications. In this survey article we focus on fixed point ratios for simple groups of Lie type, highlighting some of the main results, applications and related problems., Comment: 50 pages; to appear in the proceedings of the program "Local representation theory and simple groups" (CIB, Lausanne 2016)

The involution fixity ${\rm ifix}(G)$ of a permutation group $G$ of degree $n$ is the maximum number of fixed points of an involution. In this paper we study the involution fixity of primitive almost simple exceptional groups of Lie type. We show that if $T$ is the socle of such a group, then either ${\rm ifix}(T) > n^{1/3}$, or ${\rm ifix}(T) = 1$ and $T = {}^2B_2(q)$ is a Suzuki group in its natural $2$-transitive action of degree $n=q^2+1$. This bound is best possible and we present more detailed results for each family of exceptional groups, which allows us to determine the groups with ${\rm ifix}(T) \leqslant n^{4/9}$. This extends recent work of Liebeck and Shalev, who established the bound ${\rm ifix}(T) > n^{1/6}$ for every almost simple primitive group of degree $n$ with socle $T$ (with a prescribed list of exceptions). Finally, by combining our results with the Lang-Weil estimates from algebraic geometry, we determine bounds on a natural analogue of involution fixity for primitive actions of exceptional algebraic groups over algebraically closed fields., Comment: 45 pages; to appear in Int. J. Algebra Comput