Abstract
Letp be a fixed prime and letG be a finite simple group. It is shown that two randomly chosen elements ofG of orders prime top generateG with probability tending to 1 as |G| → ∞. This answers a question of Kantor. Some related results are also established.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
L. Babai,The probability of generating the symmetric group, Journal of Combinatorial Theory, Series A52 (1989), 148–153.
L. Babai, P. P. Pálfy and J. Saxl,On the number of p-regular elements in simple groups, Preprint, 2000.
R. Beals, C. R. Leedham-Green, A. C. Niemeyer, C. E. Praeger and Á. Seress,On the proportions of certain types of elements of finite alternating and symmetric groups, Preprint, 2000.
J. D. Dixon,The probability of generating the symmetric group, Mathematische Zeitschrift110 (1969), 199–205.
P. Erdős and P. Turán,On some problems of a statistical group theory. II, Acta Mathematica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae18 (1967), 151–163.
I. M. Isaacs, W. M. Kantor and N. Spaltenstein,On the probability that a random group element is p-singular, Journal of Algebra176 (1995), 139–181.
W. M. Kantor,Some topics in asymptotic group theory, inGroups, Combinatorics and Geometry (M. W. Liebeck and J. Saxl, eds.), Cambridge University Press, 1992.
W. M. Kantor and A. Lubotzky,The probability of generating a finite classical group, Geometriae Dedicata36 (1990), 67–87.
P. B. Kleidman and M. W. Liebeck,The Subgroup Structure of the Finite Classical Groups, London Mathematical Society Lecture Note Series129, Cambridge University Press, 1990.
M. W. Liebeck and J. Saxl,On the orders of maximal subgroups of the finite exceptional groups of Lie type, Proceedings of the London Mathematical Society55 (1987), 299–330.
M. W. Liebeck and A. Shalev,The probability of generating a finite simple group, Geometriae Dedicata56 (1995), 103–113.
M. W. Liebeck and A. Shalev,Classical groups, probabilistic methods, and the (2,3)-generation problem, Annals of Mathematics144 (1996), 77–125.
M. W. Liebeck and A. Shalev,Simple groups, probabilistic methods, and a conjecture of Kantor and Lubotzky, Journal of Algebra184 (1996), 31–57.
A. C. Niemeyer and C. E. Praeger,A Recognition algorithm for classical groups over finite fields, Proceedings of the London Mathematical Society77 (1998), 117–169.
M. Suzuki,On a class of doubly transitive groups, Annals of Mathematics75 (1962), 105–145.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Partially supported by a grant from the Israel Science Foundation, administered by the Israel Academy of Science and Humanities.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Shalev, A. Random generation of finite simple groups byp-regular orp-singular elements. Isr. J. Math. 125, 53–60 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02773374
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02773374