Let G be a finite group, F a free group of finite rank, R the kernel of a homomorphism φ of F onto G, and let [R, F], [R, R] denote mutual commutator subgroups. Conjugation in F yields a G-module structure on R/[R, R] let dg(R/[R, R]) be the number of elements required to generate this module. Define d(R/[R, F]) similarly. By an earlier result of the first author, for a fixed G, the difference dG(R/[R, R]) − d(R/[R, F]) is independent of the choice of F and φ; here it is called the proficiency gap of G. If this gap is 0, then G is said to be proficient. It has been more usual to consider dF(R), the number of elements required to generate R as normal subgroup of F: the group G has been called efficient if F and φ can be chosen so that dF(R) = dG(R/[R, F]). An efficient group is necessarily proficient; but (though usually expressed in different terms) the converse has been an open question for some time.

The paper improves on an upper bound for the order of the Schur multiplier of a finite p-group given by Wiegold in 1969. The new bound is applied to the problem of classifying p-groups according to the size of their Schur multipliers.

For a periodic group G, denote by ω(G) the set of orders of elements in G. We prove that if ω(G) is a proper subset of the set {1, 2, 3, 4, 5} then either G is locally finite or G contains a nilpotent normal subgroup N such that G/N is a 5-group.

An approach to analysing the family of Cayley graphs for a finite group G is given which identifies normal edge-transitive Cayley graphs as a sub-family of central importance. These are the Cayley graphs for G for which a subgroup of automorphisms exists which both normalises G and acts transitively on edges. It is shown that, for a nontrivial group G, each normal edge-transitive Cayley graph for G has at least one homomorphic image which is a normal edge-transitive Cayley graph for a characteristically simple quotient group of G. Moreover, given a normal edge-transitive Cayley graph ΓH for a quotient group G/H, necessary and sufficient conditions are obtained for the existence of a normal edge-transitive Cayley graph Γ for G which has ΓH as a homomorphic image, and a method for obtaining all such graphs Γ is given.

It is shown that finitely presented centre-by-metabelian Lie algebras are Abelian-by-finite-dimensional.

A cover for a group is a collection of proper subgroups whose union is the whole group. A cover is minimal if no other cover contains fewer members. We term minimised a minimal cover with the property that substituting for a member of the cover by a proper subgroup of that member produces a collection which is no longer a cover. We here describe the minimised covers for the groups GL2 (q), SL2 (q), PSL2 (q) and PGL2(q).

For groups of the type F/[R, R], where F is a free product, we prove a generalisation of a theorem of Karrass and Solitar on a finitely generated subgroup of a free product containing a nontrivial subnormal subgroup. We also describe the centre of the group F[/R, R].

Motivated by a well-known conjecture of Andrews and Curtis, we consider the question as to how in a given n-generator group G, a given set of n “annihilators” of G, that is, with normal closure all of G, can be transformed by standard moves into a generating n-tuple. The recalcitrance of G is defined to be the least number of elementary standard moves (”elementary M-transformations”) by means of which every annihilating n-tuple of G can be transformed into a generating n-tuple. We show that in the classes of finite and soluble groups, having zero recalcitrance is equivalent to nilpotence, and that a large class of 2-generator soluble groups has recalcitrance at most 3. Some examples and remarks are included.

A square matrix is called cyclic if its characteristic and minimum polynomials coincide, separable if the characteristic polynomial has no repeated roots. Recent results of P. Neumann and Praeger, and of Lehrer, about the numbers of such matrices over a finite field are sharpened.

This paper is devoted to a historical study of axioms for group theory. It begins with the emergence of groups in the work of Galois and Cauchy, treats two lines of development discernible in the latter half of the nineteenth century, and concludes with a note about some twentieth century ideas. One of those nineteenth century lines involved Cayley, Dyck and Burnside; the other involved Kronecker, Weber (very strongly), Hölder and Frobenius.

In 1987 Sullivan determined the elements of the semigroup N(X) generated by all nilpotent partial transformations of an infinite set X; and later in 1997 he studied subsemigroups of N(X) defined by restricting the index of the nilpotents and the cardinality of the set. Here, we describe the ideals and Green's relations on such semigroups, like Reynolds and Sullivan did in 1985 for the semigroup generated by all idempotent total transformations of X. We then use this information to describe the congruences on certain Rees factor semigroups and to construct families of congruence-free semigroups with interesting algebraic properties. We also study analogous questions for X finite and for one-to-one partial transformations.

In this paper, we study approximate inertial manifolds for nonlinear evolution partial differential equations which possess symmetry. The relationship between symmetry and dimensions of approximate inertial manifolds is established. We demonstrate that symmetry can reduce the dimensions of an approximate inertial manifold. Applications for concrete evolution equations are given.

In this short note, we obtain a complete classification of finite homogeneous groups.