A Schur ring is a subring of the group algebra with a basis that is formed by a partition of the group. These subrings were initially used to study finite permutation groups, and classifications of Schur rings over various finite groups have been studied. Here we investigate Schur rings over various infinite groups, including free groups. We classify Schur rings over the infinite cyclic group.

Dans cette thèse, nous construisons des pavages de la droite réelle et du demi-plan hyperbolique à l’aide de représentants efficaces d’automorphismes IWIP du groupe libre Fn. Dans un premier temps, nous utilisons la substitution définie par P. Arnoux, V. Berthé, A. Siegel, A. Hilion associée à un représentant efficace d’un automorphisme IWIP pour générer des espaces de pavages substitutifs apériodiques de la droite réelle. Nous montrons, en nous servant d’un théorème de connexité des représentants efficaces d’automorphismes IWIP dû à J. Los, que le type topologique de ces espaces de pavages est indépendant du choix du représentant. Nous associons ainsi, à homéomorphisme près, un espace de pavages de la droite réelle à une classe d’automorphisme externe IWIP de Fn, puis à une classe de conjugaison d’un élément IWIP dans Out(Fn). D’autre part, nous construisons à partir des éléments de l’espace de pavage de la droite réelle précédemment construits des pavages faiblement apériodiques pour le groupe des transformations affines du demi-plan hyperbolique. Nous étudions les propriétés topologiques et dynamiques de ces espaces de pavages du plan hyperbolique. Enfin, dans une dernière partie, nous montrons que les espaces de pavages précédemment construits peuvent être munis d’une structure lisse en se servant de leur structure de limite projective. / In this thesis, we construct tilings of the real line and the hyperbolic half-plane using train-track maps of IWIP free group automorphisms. One the one hand, we use a substitution defined by P. Arnoux, V. Berthé, A. Siegel, A. Hilion coming from a train-track map of a IWIP free group automorphism to generate substitutive aperiodic tilings of the real line. We show, thanks to a theorem of J. Los about connectivity of train-track representatives of an IWIP automorphism, that the topological type of those tiling spaces is the same up to a choice of train-track representative. Thus we associate, up to an homeomorphism, a tiling space of the real line to a class of an IWIP outer automorphism of Fn, then we extend this result to a conjugacy class of an IWIP element in Out(Fn). On the other hand, we construct from elements of tiling spaces of the real line previously defined, a set of weakly aperiodic for the affine group tilings of the hyperbolic half-plane. We study topological et dynamical properties of the tiling space generated by those hyperbolic tilings. Finally, in the last section we endow tiling spaces previously constructed with a smooth structure thanks to their inverse limit structure.

We describe a method for computing rank (and determining quasipositivity) in the free group using dynamic programming. The algorithm is adapted to computing upper bounds on the rank for braids. We test our method on a table of knots by identifying quasipositive knots and calculating the ribbon genus. We consider the possibility that rank is not theoretically computable and prove some partial results that would classify its computational complexity. We then present a method for effectively brute force searching band presentations of small rank and conjugate length.

>Magister Scientiae - MSc / The groups we consider in this study belong to the class Xo of all finitely generated groups with finite commutator subgroups. We shall eventually narrow down to the groups of the form T)<lw zn for some nE N and some finite abelian group T. For a Xo-group H, we study the non-cancellation set, X(H), which is defined to be the set of all isomorphism classes of groups K such that H x Z ~ K x Z. For Xo-groups H, on X(H) there is an abelian group structure [38], defined in terms of embeddings of K into H, for groups K of which the isomorphism classes belong to X(H). If H is a nilpotent Xo-group, then the group X(H) is the same as the Hilton-Mislin (see [10]) genus group Q(H) of H. A number of calculations of such Hilton-Mislin genus groups can be found in the literature, and in particular there is a very nice calculation in article [11] of Hilton and Scevenels. The main aim of this thesis is to compute non-cancellation (or genus) groups of special types of .Xo-groups such as mentioned above. The groups in question can in fact be considered to be direct products of metacyclic groups, very much as in [11]. We shall make extensive use of the methods developed in [30] and employ computer algebra packages to compute determinants of endomorphisms of finite groups.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-07-29T16:02:20Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertacao Flavio P Vieira.pdf: 631827 bytes, checksum: b4c3dfd45d41b0313e21e87b61f0c94e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-04-12 / The main goal of this work is to establish a primary bound for the dimension of the second homology group of a group G, with coefficients in a field k of characteristic p, H2(G;k), using the operating system GAP. It will be presented with several examples, where in some cases, will be calculated the exact dimensions and in other cases only an upper bound. / O trabalho tem por objetivo principal estabelecer uma cota superior para a dimensão do segundo grupo de homologia de um grupo G, com coeficientes em um corpo k de característica p, H2(G;k), usando o sistema operacional GAP. Será apresentado uma gama de exemplos, onde em alguns casos, calcularemos exatamente a dimensão e em outras somente uma cota superior.

Après une introduction générale et la présentation d'un exemple explicite dans le chapitre 1, nous exposons certains outils et techniques généraux dans le chapitre 2.- dans le chapitre 3, nous démontrons l'existence d'un principe de grandes déviations (PGD) pour les composantes de Cartan le long des marches aléatoires sur les groupes linéaires semi -simples G. L'hypothèse principale porte sur le support S de la mesure de la probabilité en question et demande que S engendre un semi-groupe Zariski dense. - Dans le chapitre 4, nous introduisons un objet limite (une partie de la chambre de Weyl) que l'on associe à une partie bornée S de G et que nous appelons le spectre joint J(S) de S. Nous étudions ses propriétés et démontrons que J(S) est une partie convexe compacte d'intérieur non-vide dès que S engendre un semi -groupe Zariski dense. Nous relions le spectre joint avec la notion classique du rayon spectral joint et la fonction de taux du PGD pour les marches aléatoires. - Dans le chapitre 5, nous introduisons une fonction de comptage exponentiel pour un S fini dans G, nous étudions ses propriétés que nous relions avec J(S) et démontrons un théorème de croissance exponentielle dense. - Dans le chapitre 6, nous démontrons le PGD pour les composantes d'Iwasawa le long des marches aléatoires sur G. L'hypothèse principale demande l'absolue continuité de la mesure de probabilité par rapport à la mesure de Haar.- Dans le chapitre 7, nous développons des outils pour aborder une question de Breuillard sur la rigidité du rayon spectral d'une marche aléatoire sur le groupe libre. Nous y démontrons un résultat de rigidité géométrique. / After giving a detailed introduction andthe presentation of an explicit example to illustrateour study in Chapter 1, we exhibit some general toolsand techniques in Chapter 2. Subsequently,- In Chapter 3, we prove the existence of a large deviationprinciple (LDP) with a convex rate function, forthe Cartan components of the random walks on linearsemisimple groups G. The main hypothesis is onthe support S of the probability measure in question,and asks S to generate a Zariski dense semigroup.- In Chapter 4, we introduce a limit object (a subsetof the Weyl chamber) that we associate to a boundedsubset S of G. We call this the joint spectrum J(S)of S. We study its properties and show that for asubset S generating a Zariski dense semigroup, J(S)is convex body, i.e. a convex compact subset of nonemptyinterior. We relate the joint spectrum withthe classical notion of joint spectral radius and therate function of LDP for random walks on G.- In Chapter 5, we introduce an exponential countingfunction for a nite S in G. We study its properties,relate it to joint spectrum of S and prove a denseexponential growth theorem.- In Chapter 6, we prove the existence of an LDPfor Iwasawa components of random walks on G. Thehypothesis asks for a condition of absolute continuityof the probability measure with respect to the Haarmeasure.- In Chapter 7, we develop some tools to tackle aquestion of Breuillard on the rigidity of spectral radiusof a random walk on a free group. We prove aweaker geometric rigidity result.

Let C be the class of finite nilpotent, solvable, symmetric, simple or semi-simple groups and n be a positive integer. We discuss the following question on group laws: What is the length of the shortest non-trivial law holding for all finite groups from the class C of order less than or equal to n?:Introduction 0 Essentials from group theory 1 The two main tools 1.1 The commutator lemma 1.2 The extension lemma 2 Nilpotent and solvable groups 2.1 Definitions and basic properties 2.2 Short non-trivial words in the derived series of F_2 2.3 Short non-trivial words in the lower central series of F_2 2.4 Laws for finite nilpotent groups 2.5 Laws for finite solvable groups 3 Semi-simple groups 3.1 Definitions and basic facts 3.2 Laws for the symmetric group S_n 3.3 Laws for simple groups 3.4 Laws for finite linear groups 3.5 Returning to semi-simple groups 4 The final conclusion Index Bibliography / Sei C die Klasse der endlichen nilpotenten, auflösbaren, symmetrischen oder halbeinfachen Gruppen und n eine positive ganze Zahl. We diskutieren die folgende Frage über Gruppengesetze: Was ist die Länge des kürzesten nicht-trivialen Gesetzes, das für alle endlichen Gruppen der Klasse C gilt, welche die Ordnung höchstens n haben?:Introduction 0 Essentials from group theory 1 The two main tools 1.1 The commutator lemma 1.2 The extension lemma 2 Nilpotent and solvable groups 2.1 Definitions and basic properties 2.2 Short non-trivial words in the derived series of F_2 2.3 Short non-trivial words in the lower central series of F_2 2.4 Laws for finite nilpotent groups 2.5 Laws for finite solvable groups 3 Semi-simple groups 3.1 Definitions and basic facts 3.2 Laws for the symmetric group S_n 3.3 Laws for simple groups 3.4 Laws for finite linear groups 3.5 Returning to semi-simple groups 4 The final conclusion Index Bibliography