Nonclosed powers of a Zariski-closed subset of GL₃ in characteristic five
Description
We construct a Zariski-closed subset \(Y\) of \(\mathrm{GL}_3(\overline{\mathbb F_5(u)})\) containing the identity such that \(Y^m\) is not closed for every integer \(m\geq2\). The same diagonal matrix lies in \(\overline{Y^m}\setminus Y^m\) for all such \(m\). The construction uses scalar multiples of an explicit family of upper triangular matrices. A polynomial curve proves nonclosedness, and a trace argument proves the reductivity of the ambient group. This gives a negative answer to Kourovka Problem 16.28(a). The counterexample and the ambient-group hypotheses are formalised in Lean 4.
Files
kourovka-16-28-paper.pdf
Additional details
Software
- Repository URL
- https://github.com/Achxy/k-16-28
- Programming language
- Lean
- Development Status
- Active
References
- E. I. Khukhro and V. D. Mazurov (eds.), Unsolved Problems in Group Theory: The Kourovka Notebook, 21st edition, revision 1 September 2026, Problem 16.28, arXiv:1401.0300.
- J. S. Milne, Algebraic Groups: The Theory of Group Schemes of Finite Type over a Field, Cambridge Studies in Advanced Mathematics 170, Cambridge University Press, 2017.