We prove that centralisers of elements in [finitely generated free]-by-cyclic groups are computable. As a corollary, given two conjugate elements in a [finitely generated free]-by-cyclic group, the set of conjugators can be computed and the conjugacy problem with context-free constraints is decidable. We pose several problems arising naturally from this work.

A theorem of Brady and Meier states that a right-angled Artin group is a duality group if and only if the flag complex of the defining graph is Cohen–Macaulay. We use this to give an example of a RAAG with the property that its outer automorphism group is not a virtual duality group. This gives a partial answer to a question of Vogtmann. In an appendix, Brück describes how he used a computer-assisted search to find further examples.

In this paper, we study the supercharacter theories of elementary abelian $p$-groups of order $p^{2}$. We show that the supercharacter theories that arise from the direct product construction and the $\ast$-product construction can be obtained from automorphisms. We also prove that any supercharacter theory of an elementary abelian $p$-group of order $p^{2}$ that has a non-identity superclass of size $1$ or a non-principal linear supercharacter must come from either a $\ast$-product or a direct product. Although we are unable to prove results for general primes, we do compute all of the supercharacter theories when $p = 2,\, 3,\, 5$, and based on these computations along with particular computations for larger primes, we make several conjectures for a general prime $p$.

We obtain conditions of uniform continuity for endomorphisms of free-abelian times free groups for the product metric defined by taking the prefix metric in each component and establish an equivalence between uniform continuity for this metric and the preservation of a coarse-median, a concept recently introduced by Fioravanti. Considering the extension of an endomorphism to the completion, we count the number of orbits for the action of the subgroup of fixed points (respectively periodic) points on the set of infinite fixed (respectively periodic) points. Finally, we study the dynamics of infinite points: for automorphisms and some endomorphisms, defined in a precise way, fitting a classification given by Delgado and Ventura, we prove that every infinite point is either periodic or wandering, which implies that the dynamics is asymptotically periodic.

We study the first-order consequences of Ramsey’s Theorem for k-colourings of n-tuples, for fixed $n, k \ge 2$ , over the relatively weak second-order arithmetic theory $\mathrm {RCA}^*_0$ . Using the Chong–Mourad coding lemma, we show that in a model of $\mathrm {RCA}^*_0$ that does not satisfy $\Sigma ^0_1$ induction, $\mathrm {RT}^n_k$ is equivalent to its relativization to any proper $\Sigma ^0_1$ -definable cut, so its truth value remains unchanged in all extensions of the model with the same first-order universe.

We give a complete axiomatization of the first-order consequences of $\mathrm {RCA}^*_0 + \mathrm {RT}^n_k$ for $n \ge 3$ . We show that they form a non-finitely axiomatizable subtheory of $\mathrm {PA}$ whose $\Pi _3$ fragment coincides with $\mathrm {B} \Sigma _1 + \exp $ and whose $\Pi _{\ell +3}$ fragment for $\ell \ge 1$ lies between $\mathrm {I} \Sigma _\ell \Rightarrow \mathrm {B} \Sigma _{\ell +1}$ and $\mathrm {B} \Sigma _{\ell +1}$ . We also give a complete axiomatization of the first-order consequences of $\mathrm {RCA}^*_0 + \mathrm {RT}^2_k + \neg \mathrm {I} \Sigma _1$ . In general, we show that the first-order consequences of $\mathrm {RCA}^*_0 + \mathrm {RT}^2_k$ form a subtheory of $\mathrm {I} \Sigma _2$ whose $\Pi _3$ fragment coincides with $\mathrm {B} \Sigma _1 + \exp $ and whose $\Pi _4$ fragment is strictly weaker than $\mathrm {B} \Sigma _2$ but not contained in $\mathrm {I} \Sigma _1$ .

Additionally, we consider a principle $\Delta ^0_2$ - $\mathrm {RT}^2_2$ which is defined like $\mathrm {RT}^2_2$ but with both the $2$ -colourings and the solutions allowed to be $\Delta ^0_2$ -sets rather than just sets. We show that the behaviour of $\Delta ^0_2$ - $\mathrm {RT}^2_2$ over $\mathrm {RCA}_0 + \mathrm {B}\Sigma ^0_2$ is in many ways analogous to that of $\mathrm {RT}^2_2$ over $\mathrm {RCA}^*_0$ , and that $\mathrm {RCA}_0 + \mathrm {B} \Sigma ^0_2 + \Delta ^0_2$ - $\mathrm {RT}^2_2$ is $\Pi _4$ - but not $\Pi _5$ -conservative over $\mathrm {B} \Sigma _2$ . However, the statement we use to witness failure of $\Pi _5$ -conservativity is not provable in $\mathrm {RCA}_0 +\mathrm {RT}^2_2$ .

For any infinite transitive sofic shift X we construct a reversible cellular automaton (that is, an automorphism of the shift X) which breaks any given finite point of the subshift into a finite collection of gliders traveling into opposing directions. This shows in addition that every infinite transitive sofic shift has a reversible cellular automaton which is sensitive with respect to all directions. As another application we prove a finitary version of Ryan’s theorem: the automorphism group $\operatorname {\mathrm {Aut}}(X)$ contains a two-element subset whose centralizer consists only of shift maps. We also show that in the class of S-gap shifts these results do not extend beyond the sofic case.

Let $\mathcal {G}$ be a second countable, Hausdorff topological group. If $\mathcal {G}$ is locally compact, totally disconnected and T is an expansive automorphism then it is shown that the dynamical system $(\mathcal {G}, T)$ is topologically conjugate to the product of a symbolic full-shift on a finite number of symbols, a totally wandering, countable-state Markov shift and a permutation of a countable coset space of $\mathcal {G}$ that fixes the defining subgroup. In particular if the automorphism is transitive then $\mathcal {G}$ is compact and $(\mathcal {G}, T)$ is topologically conjugate to a full-shift on a finite number of symbols.

In this paper we continue the study of automorphism groups of constant-length substitution shifts and also their topological factors. We show that, up to conjugacy, all roots of the identity map are letter-exchanging maps, and all other non-trivial automorphisms arise from twisted compressions of another constant-length substitution. We characterize the group of roots of the identity in both the measurable and topological setting. Finally, we show that any topological factor of a constant-length substitution shift is topologically conjugate to a constant-length substitution shift via a letter-to-letter code.

We establish rigidity (or uniqueness) theorems for non-commutative (NC) automorphisms that are natural extensions of classical results of H. Cartan and are improvements of recent results. We apply our results to NC domains consisting of unit balls of rectangular matrices.

In this paper we prove a commutative algebraic extension of a generalized Skolem–Mahler– Lech theorem. Let $A$ be a finitely generated commutative $K$–algebra over a field of characteristic 0, and let $\sigma$ be a $K$–algebra automorphism of $A$. Given ideals $I$ and $J$ of $A$, we show that the set $S$ of integers $m$ such that ${{\sigma }^{m}}(I)\,\supseteq \,J$ is a finite union of complete doubly infinite arithmetic progressions in $m$, up to the addition of a finite set. Alternatively, this result states that for an affine scheme $X$ of finite type over $K$, an automorphism $\sigma \,\in \,\text{Au}{{\text{t}}_{k}}(X)$, and $Y$ and $Z$ any two closed subschemes of $X$, the set of integers $m$ with ${{\sigma }^{m}}(Z)\,\subseteq \,Y$ is as above. We present examples showing that this result may fail to hold if the affine scheme $X$ is not of finite type, or if $X$ is of finite type but the field $K$ has positive characteristic.

We prove a cohomological property for a class of finite $p$-groups introduced earlier by Xu, which we call semi-abelian $p$-groups. This result implies that a semi-abelian $p$-group has noninner automorphisms of order $p$, which settles a long-standing problem for this class. We answer also, independetly, an old question posed by Xu about the power structure of semi-abelian $p$-groups.

A long-standing conjecture asserts that every finite nonabelian $p$-group has a noninner automorphism of order $p$. In this paper the verification of the conjecture is reduced to the case of $p$-groups $G$ satisfying ${ Z}_{2}^{\star } (G)\leq {C}_{G} ({ Z}_{2}^{\star } (G))= \Phi (G)$, where ${ Z}_{2}^{\star } (G)$ is the preimage of ${\Omega }_{1} ({Z}_{2} (G)/ Z(G))$ in $G$. This improves Deaconescu and Silberberg’s reduction of the conjecture: if ${C}_{G} (Z(\Phi (G)))\not = \Phi (G)$, then $G$ has a noninner automorphism of order $p$ leaving the Frattini subgroup of $G$ elementwise fixed [‘Noninner automorphisms of order $p$ of finite $p$-groups’, J. Algebra 250 (2002), 283–287].

We find conditions which imply that a saturated fusion system over a product of 2-groups splits as a product of fusion systems over the factors.

We give a moduli interpretation of the outer automorphism group Out of a finite-dimensional algebra similar to that of the Picard group of a scheme. We deduce that the connected component of Out is invariant under derived and stable equivalences. This allows us to transfer gradings between algebras and gives rise to conjectural homological constructions of interesting gradings on blocks of finite groups with abelian defect. We give applications to the lifting of stable equivalences to derived equivalences. We give a counterpart of the invariance result for smooth projective varieties: the product Pic0 × Aut0 is invariant under derived equivalence.

We analyze the automorphism group for the norm closed quiver algebras 𝒯+(Q). We begin by focusing on two normal subgroups of the automorphism group which are characterized by their actions on the maximal ideal space of 𝒯+(Q). To further discuss arbitrary automorphisms we factor automorphism through subalgebras for which the automorphism group can be better understood. This allows us to classify a large number of noninner automorphisms. We suggest a candidate for the group of inner automorphisms.

Let k be an algebraically closed field of positive characteristic p. We consider which finite groups G have the property that every faithful action of G on a connected smooth projective curve over k lifts to characteristic zero. Oort conjectured that cyclic groups have this property. We show that if a cyclic-by-p group G has this property, then G must be either cyclic or dihedral, with the exception of A4 in characteristic two. This proves one direction of a strong form of the Oort conjecture.

We prove Pursell–Shanks type results for the Lie algebra $\mathcal{D}(M)$ of all linear differential operators of a smooth manifold M, for its Lie subalgebra $\mathcal{D}^1(M)$ of all linear first-order differential operators of M and for the Poisson algebra S(M) = Pol(T*M) of all polynomial functions on T*M, the symbols of the operators in $\mathcal{D}(M)$. Chiefly, however, we provide explicit formulas completely describing the automorphisms of the Lie algebras $\mathcal{D}^1(M)$, S(M) and $\mathcal{D}(M)$.

For a dense $G_\delta$-set of parameters, the irrational rotation algebra is shown to contain infinitely many C*-subalgebras satisfying the following properties. Each subalgebra is isomorphic to a direct sum of two matrix algebras of the same (perfect square) dimension; the Fourier transform maps each summand onto the other; the corresponding unit projection is approximately central; the compressions of the canonical generators of the irrational rotation algebra are approximately contained in the subalgebra.

Let $G$ be a periodic residually finite group containing a nilpotent subgroup $A$ such that $C_G(A)$ is finite. We show that if $\langle A,A^g\rangle$ is finite for any $g\in G$, then $G$ is locally finite.

AMS 2000 Mathematics subject classification: Primary 20F50

Let VD be the Shimura curve over $\open Q$ attached to the indefinite rational quaternion algebra of discriminant D. In this note we investigate the group of automorphisms of VD and prove that, in many cases, it is the Atkin–Lehner group. Moreover, we determine the family of bielliptic Shimura curves over $\bar\open Q$ and over $\open Q$ and we use it to study the set of rational points on VD over quadratic fields. Finally, we obtain explicit equations of elliptic Atkin–Lehner quotients of VD.