A REFINED WARING PROBLEM FOR FINITE SIMPLE GROUPS

Abstract

Let $w_{1}$ and $w_{2}$ be nontrivial words in free groups $F_{n_{1}}$ and $F_{n_{2}}$, respectively. We prove that, for all sufficiently large finite nonabelian simple groups $G$, there exist subsets $C_{1}\subseteq w_{1}(G)$ and $C_{2}\subseteq w_{2}(G)$ such that $|C_{i}|=O(|G|^{1/2}\log ^{1/2}|G|)$ and $C_{1}C_{2}=G$. In particular, if $w$ is any nontrivial word and $G$ is a sufficiently large finite nonabelian simple group, then $w(G)$ contains a thin base of order $2$. This is a nonabelian analog of a result of Van Vu [‘On a refinement of Waring’s problem’, Duke Math. J. 105(1) (2000), 107–134.] for the classical Waring problem. Further results concerning thin bases of $G$ of order $2$ are established for any finite group and for any compact Lie group $G$.

Keywords

• 20C33 (primary)
• 20D06 (secondary)