Large dimensional classical groups and linear spaces

Suppose that a group $G$ has socle $L$ a simple large-rank classical group. Suppose furthermore that $G$ acts transitively on the set of lines of a linear space $\mathcal{S}$. We prove that, provided $L$ has dimension at least 25, then $G$ acts transitively on the set of flags of $\mathcal{S}$ and hence the action is known. For particular families of classical groups our results hold for dimension smaller than 25. The group theoretic methods used to prove the result (described in Section 3) are robust and general and are likely to have wider application in the study of almost simple groups acting on finite linear spaces.Comment: 32 pages. Version 2 has a new format that includes less repetition. It also proves a slightly stronger result; with the addition of our "Concluding Remarks" section the result holds for dimension at least 2

A Census Of Highly Symmetric Combinatorial Designs

As a consequence of the classification of the finite simple groups, it has been possible in recent years to characterize Steiner t-designs, that is t-(v,k,1) designs, mainly for t = 2, admitting groups of automorphisms with sufficiently strong symmetry properties. However, despite the finite simple group classification, for Steiner t-designs with t > 2 most of these characterizations have remained longstanding challenging problems. Especially, the determination of all flag-transitive Steiner t-designs with 2 < t < 7 is of particular interest and has been open for about 40 years (cf. [11, p. 147] and [12, p. 273], but presumably dating back to 1965). The present paper continues the author's work [20, 21, 22] of classifying all flag-transitive Steiner 3-designs and 4-designs. We give a complete classification of all flag-transitive Steiner 5-designs and prove furthermore that there are no non-trivial flag-transitive Steiner 6-designs. Both results rely on the classification of the finite 3-homogeneous permutation groups. Moreover, we survey some of the most general results on highly symmetric Steiner t-designs.Comment: 26 pages; to appear in: "Journal of Algebraic Combinatorics

Scott's formula and Hurwitz groups

This paper continues previous work, based on systematic use of a formula of L. Scott, to detect Hurwitz groups. It closes the problem of determining the finite simple groups contained in $PGL_n(F)$ for $n\leq 7$ which are Hurwitz, where $F$ is an algebraically closed field. For the groups $G_2(q)$, $q\geq 5$, and the Janko groups $J_1$ and $J_2$ it provides explicit $(2,3,7)$-generators

Linear spaces with significant characteristic prime

Let $G$ be a group with socle a simple group of Lie type defined over the finite field with $q$ elements where $q$ is a power of the prime $p$. Suppose that $G$ acts transitively upon the lines of a linear space $\mathcal{S}$. We show that if $p$ is {\it significant} then $G$ acts flag-transitively on $\mathcal{S}$ and all examples are known.Comment: 11 page

Finite projective planes admitting a projective linear group PSL (2,q)

AbstractLet S be a projective plane, and let G⩽Aut(S) and PSL(2,q)⩽G⩽PΓL(2,q) with q>3. If G acts point-transitively on S, then q=7 and S is of order 2