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Adam R. Thomas

Publications and source records attributed to Adam R. Thomas.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
arXiv2026

Common neighbour conjectures for Saxl graphs fail at every base size

For a finite permutation group, a base is a set of points with trivial pointwise stabiliser, and the generalised Saxl graph records which pairs of points lie together in a base of minimum size. Burness and Giudici conjectured that any two vertices of the Saxl graph of a primitive group of base size two have a common neighbour, and Freedman, Huang, Lee and Rekv\'enyi extended this conjecture to arbitrary base size. We disprove both. For each integer $B\ge2$ we construct infinitely many primitive groups of base size $B$ whose generalised Saxl graphs contain two nonadjacent vertices with no common neighbour. At base size two, where this is the usual Saxl graph, we obtain three further infinite families, one each of affine, product and twisted wreath type, so the conjecture fails in three of the five O'Nan--Scott types; in the affine and product type families the Saxl graphs have diameter exactly three. This answers Problem~21.29 in the Kourovka Notebook in the negative. In the positive direction, we prove the Burness--Giudici conjecture for every primitive affine group whose point stabiliser is almost quasisimple of sporadic type, completing work of Lee and Popiel. We conjecture that no base-two counterexample of almost simple or diagonal type exists.

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arXiv2025

Epimorphic subgroups of simple algebraic groups

A morphism of linear algebraic groups $\phi:K\rightarrow G$ is called an epimorphism if it admits right cancellation. A subgroup $H\leq G$ is epimorphic if the inclusion map is an epimorphism. For $G$ a simple algebraic group over an algebraically closed field of arbitrary characteristic we construct epimorphic subgroups of bounded dimension (at most five).

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arXiv2024

Monogamous subvarieties of the nilpotent cone

Let $G$ be a reductive algebraic group over an algebraically closed field $k$ of prime characteristic not $2$, whose Lie algebra is denoted $\mathfrak{g}$. We call a subvariety $\mathfrak{X}$ of the nilpotent cone $N \subset \mathfrak{g}$ monogamous if for every $e\in \mathfrak{X}$, the $\mathfrak{sl}_2$-triples $(e,h,f)$ with $f\in \mathfrak{X}$ are conjugate under the centraliser $C_G(e)$. Building on work by the first two authors, we show there is a unique maximal closed $G$-stable monogamous subvariety $V \subset N$ and that it is an orbit closure, hence irreducible. We show that $V$ can also be characterised in terms of Serre's $G$-complete reducibility.

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arXiv2024

On extensions of the Jacobson-Morozov theorem to even characteristic

Let G be a simple algebraic group over an algebraically closed field k of characteristic 2. We consider analogues of the Jacobson-Morozov theorem in this setting. More precisely, we classify those nilpotent elements with a simple 3-dimensional Lie overalgebra in $\mathfrak{g} := \text{Lie}(G)$ and also those with overalgebras isomorphic to the algebras $\text{Lie}(\text{SL}_2)$ and $\text{Lie}(\text{PGL}_2)$. This leads us to calculate the dimension of Lie automiser $\mathfrak{n}_\mathfrak{g}(k\cdot e)/\mathfrak{c}_\mathfrak{g}(e)$ for all nilpotent orbits; in even characteristic this quantity is very sensitive to isogeny.

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arXiv2023

On the 32-dimensional Rosenfeld projective plane

Following on from arXiv:2310.14365 [math.AT], we make a detailed study of the $32$-dimensional Rosenfeld projective plane which is the symmetric space EIII in Cartan's list of compact symmetric spaces.

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arXiv2023

The classical topological invariants of homogeneous spaces

We study the homogeneous spaces of a simply connected, compact, simple Lie group $G$ through the lens of K-theory. Our methods apply equally well to the case where $G$ is in one of the four infinite families of classical groups, or one of the five exceptional groups. The main examples we study in detail are the four symmetric spaces FII, EIII, EVI, EVIII in Cartan's list of symmetric spaces. These are, respectively, homogeneous spaces for $F_4$, $E_6$, $E_7$, $E_8$ with dimensions $16$, $32$, $64$, $128$. They are the four Rosenfeld projective planes.

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arXiv2023

Complete reducibility in bad characteristic

Let $G$ be a simple algebraic group of exceptional type over an algebraically closed field of characteristic $p > 0$. This paper continues a long-standing effort to classify the connected reductive subgroups of $G$. Having previously completed the classification when $p$ is sufficiently large, we focus here on the case that $p$ is bad for $G$. We classify the connected reductive subgroups of $G$ which are not $G$-completely reducible, whose simple components have rank at least $3$. For each such subgroup $X$, we determine the action of $X$ on the adjoint module $L(G)$ and on a minimal non-trivial $G$-module, and the connected centraliser of $X$ in $G$. As corollaries we obtain information on: subgroups which are maximal among connected reductive subgroups; products of commuting $G$-completely reducible subgroups; subgroups with trivial connected centraliser; and subgroups which act indecomposably on an adjoint or minimal module for $G$.

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arXiv2022

Complete reducibility and subgroups of exceptional algebraic groups

This survey article has two components. The first part gives a gentle introduction to Serre's notion of $G$-complete reducibility, where $G$ is a connected reductive algebraic group defined over an algebraically closed field. The second part concerns consequences of this theory when $G$ is simple of exceptional type, specifically its role in elucidating the subgroup structure of $G$. The latter subject has a history going back about sixty years. We give an overview of what is known, up to the present day. We also take the opportunity to offer several corrections to the literature.

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arXiv2022

Normalisers of maximal tori and a conjecture of Vdovin

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.

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arXiv2021

Representatives for unipotent classes and nilpotent orbits

Let $G$ be a simple algebraic group over an algebraically closed field $k$ of characteristic $p$. The classification of the conjugacy classes of unipotent elements of $G(k)$ and nilpotent orbits of $G$ on $\operatorname{Lie}(G)$ is well-established. One knows there are representatives of every unipotent class as a product of root group elements and every nilpotent orbit as a sum of root elements. We give explicit representatives in terms of a Chevalley basis for the eminent classes. A unipotent (resp. nilpotent) element is said to be eminent if it is not contained in any subsystem subgroup (resp. subalgebra), or a natural generalisation if $G$ is of type $D_n$. From these representatives, it is straightforward to generate representatives for any given class. Along the way we also prove recognition theorems for identifying both the unipotent classes and nilpotent orbits of exceptional algebraic groups.

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arXiv2021

A New Maximal Subgroup of $E_8$ in Characteristic $3$

We prove the existence and uniqueness of a new maximal subgroup of the algebraic group of type $E_8$ in characteristic $3$. This has type $F_4$, and was missing from previous lists of maximal subgroups produced by Seitz and Liebeck--Seitz. We also prove a result about the finite group $H={}^3\!D_4(2)$, that if $H$ embeds in $E_8$ (in any characteristic $p$) and has two composition factors on the adjoint module then $p=3$ and $H$ lies in this new maximal $F_4$ subgroup.

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arXiv2020

The classification of extremely primitive groups

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.

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arXiv2020

A note on extremely primitive affine groups

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.

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arXiv2018

Reducible subgroups of exceptional algebraic groups

Let $G$ be a simple algebraic group over an algebraically closed field. A closed subgroup $H$ of $G$ is called $G$-completely reducible ($G$-cr) if, whenever $H$ is contained in a parabolic subgroup $P$ of $G$, it is contained in a Levi factor of $P$. In this paper we complete the classification of connected $G$-cr subgroups when $G$ has exceptional type, by determining the $L_{0}$-irreducible connected reductive subgroups for each simple classical factor $L_{0}$ of a Levi subgroup of $G$. As an illustration, we determine all reducible, $G$-cr semisimple subgroups when $G$ has type $F_4$ and various properties thereof. This work complements results of Lawther, Liebeck, Seitz and Testerman, and is vital in classifying non-$G$-cr reductive subgroups, a project being undertaken by the authors elsewhere.

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arXiv2017

On the involution fixity of exceptional groups of Lie type

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.

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arXiv2016

The Irreducible Subgroups of Exceptional Algebraic Groups

This paper is a contribution to the study of the subgroup structure of exceptional algebraic groups over algebraically closed fields of arbitrary characteristic. Following Serre, a closed subgroup of a semisimple algebraic group $G$ is called irreducible if it lies in no proper parabolic subgroup of $G$. In this paper we complete the classification of irreducible connected subgroups of exceptional algebraic groups, providing an explicit set of representatives for the conjugacy classes of such subgroups. Many consequences of this classification are also given. These include results concerning the representations of such subgroups on various $G$-modules: for example, the conjugacy classes of irreducible connected subgroups are determined by their composition factors on the adjoint module of $G$, with one exception. A result of Liebeck and Testerman shows that each irreducible connected subgroup $X$ of $G$ has only finitely many overgroups and hence the overgroups of $X$ form a lattice. We provide tables that give representatives of each conjugacy class of overgroups within this lattice structure. We use this to prove results concerning the subgroup structure of $G$: for example, when the characteristic is 2, there exists a maximal connected subgroup of $G$ containing a conjugate of every irreducible subgroup $A_1$ of $G$.

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arXiv2015

The Jacobson--Morozov theorem and complete reducibility of Lie subalgebras

In this paper we determine the precise extent to which the classical sl_2-theory of complex semisimple finite-dimensional Lie algebras due to Jacobson--Morozov and Kostant can be extended to positive characteristic. This builds on work of Pommerening and improves significantly upon previous attempts due to Springer--Steinberg and Carter/Spaltenstein. Our main advance arises by investigating quite fully the extent to which subalgebras of the Lie algebras of semisimple algebraic groups over algebraically closed fields k are G-completely reducible, a notion essentially due to Serre. For example if G is exceptional and char k=p\geq 5, we classify the triples (\h,\g,p) such that there exists a non-G-completely reducible subalgebra of \g isomorphic to \h. We do this also under the restriction that \h be a p-subalgebra of \g. We find that the notion of subalgebras being G-completely reducible effectively characterises when it is possible to find bijections between the conjugacy classes of sl_2-subalgebras and nilpotent orbits and it is this which allows us to prove our main theorems. For absolute completeness, we also show that there is essentially only one occasion in which a nilpotent element cannot be extended to an sl_2-triple when p\geq 3: this happens for the exceptional orbit in G_2 when p=3.

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