THE PROBABILITY THAT AND COMMUTE IN A COMPACT GROUP

Abstract

AbstractIn a recent article [K. H. Hofmann and F. G. Russo, ‘The probability that$x$and$y$commute in a compact group’,Math. Proc. Cambridge Phil Soc., to appear] we calculated for a compact group$G$the probability$d(G)$that two randomly selected elements$x, y\in G$satisfy$xy=yx$, and we discussed the remarkable consequences on the structure of$G$which follow from the assumption that$d(G)$is positive. In this note we consider two natural numbers$m$and$n$and the probability$d_{m,n}(G)$that for two randomly selected elements$x, y\in G$the relation$x^my^n=y^nx^m$holds. The situation is more complicated whenever$n,m\gt 1$. If$G$is a compact Lie group and if its identity component$G_0$is abelian, then it follows readily that$d_{m,n}(G)$is positive. We show here that the following condition suffices for the converse to hold in an arbitrary compact group$G$: for any nonopen closed subgroup$H$of$G$, the sets$\{g\in G: g^k\in H\}$for both$k=m$and$k=n$have Haar measure$0$. Indeed, we show that if a compact group$G$satisfies this condition and if$d_{m,n}(G)\gt 0$, then the identity component of$G$is abelian.