For an algebraic number field $K$ with $3$-class group ${\mathrm{Cl}}_3\left(K\right)$ of type $(3,3)$, the structure of the $3$-class groups ${\mathrm{Cl}}_3\left(N_i\right)$ of the four unramified cyclic cubic extension fields $N_i$, $1\le i\le 4$, of $K$ is calculated with the aid of presentations for the metabelian Galois group ${\mathrm{G}}_3^2\left(K\right)=\mathrm{Gal}\left({\mathrm{F}}_3^2\left(K\right)\right|K)$ of the second Hilbert $3$-class field ${\mathrm{F}}_3^2\left(K\right)$ of $K$. In the case of a quadratic base field $K=\mathbb{Q}\left(\sqrt{D}\right)$ it is shown that the structure of the $3$-class groups of the four $S_3$-fields $N_1,...,N_4$ frequently determines the type of principalization of the $3$-class group of $K$ in $N_1,...,N_4$. This provides...

Let G be a finite group of even order. We give some bounds for the probability p(G) that a randomly chosen element in G has a square root. In particular, we prove that p(G) ≤ 1 - ⌊√|G|⌋/|G|. Moreover, we show that if the Sylow 2-subgroup of G is not a proper normal elementary abelian subgroup of G, then p(G) ≤ 1 - 1/√|G|. Both of these bounds are best possible upper bounds for p(G), depending only on the order of G.

We first note that a result of Gowers on product-free sets in groups has an unexpected consequence: If $k$ is the minimal degree of a representation of the finite group $G$, then for every subset $B$ of $G$ with $\left|B\right|>\left|G\right|/k^{1/3}$ we have $B^3=G$. We use this to obtain improved versions of recent deep theorems of Helfgott and of Shalev concerning product decompositions of finite simple groups, with much simpler proofs. On the other hand, we prove a version of Jordan’s theorem which implies that if $k\ge 2$, then $G$ has a proper subgroup...

This paper investigates the productivity of the Zariski topology ${ℨ}_G$ of a group $G$. If $𝒢=\{G_i\mid i\in I\}$ is a family of groups, and $G={\prod }_{i\in I}{G}_i$ is their direct product, we prove that ${ℨ}_G\subseteq {\prod }_{i\in I}{ℨ}_{G_i}$. This inclusion can be proper in general, and we describe the doubletons $𝒢=\{G_1,G_2\}$ of abelian groups, for which the converse inclusion holds as well, i.e., ${ℨ}_G={ℨ}_{G_1}\times {ℨ}_{G_2}$. If $e_2\in G_2$ is the identity element of a group $G_2$, we also describe the class $\Delta$ of groups $G_2$ such that $G_1\times \left\{e_2\right\}$ is an elementary algebraic subset of $G_1\times G_2$ for every group $G_1$. We show among others, that $\Delta$ is stable...