Conjecture on the number of involution isomorphy classes in symplectic groups

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Let kk be a field, let n>2n>2, and let Ci(2n,k)C_i(2n,k) denote the number of isomorphy classes of involutions of Type ii in SP⁡(2n,k)\operatorname{SP}(2n,k), for 1⩽i⩽41\leqslant i\leqslant 4. Let k∗k^* be the multiplicative group of kk and (k∗)2(k^*)^2 its subgroup of squares. Conjecture on the number of involution isomorphy classes.

If n is odd, then C1(2n,k)=n−12;if n is even, then C1(2n,k)=n2.If n is odd, then C2(2n,k)=0;if n is even, then C2(2n,k)=∣k∗/(k∗)2∣−1.C3(2n,k)=1.C4(2n,k)=∣k∗/(k∗)2∣−1.\begin{aligned} &\text{If } n \text{ is odd, then } C_1(2n,k)=\frac{n-1}{2};\quad \text{if } n \text{ is even, then } C_1(2n,k)=\frac{n}{2}.\\ &\text{If } n \text{ is odd, then } C_2(2n,k)=0;\quad \text{if } n \text{ is even, then } C_2(2n,k)=\left|k^*/(k^*)^2\right|-1.\\ &C_3(2n,k)=1.\\ &C_4(2n,k)=\left|k^*/(k^*)^2\right|-1. \end{aligned}

The conjecture proposes the maximal numbers of isomorphy classes for all four involution types over an arbitrary field. The paper establishes these values for finite and real fields, while the general case is stated as an open direction; the supplied status evidence indicates that the conjecture is disproved, although no counterexample is specified here.

References

Primary source

Robert W. Benim, Aloysius G. Helminck and Farrah Jackson, “Isomorphy Classes of Involutions of SP(2n, k), n>2”, arXiv:1407.3784 (2014).

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