Related papers: Simple groups, product actions, and generalised qu…
Let $G$ be a transitive normal subgroup of a permutation group $A$ of finite degree $n$. The factor group $A/G$ can be considered as a certain Galois group and one would like to bound its size. One of the results of the paper is that $|A/G|…
We study a class of finite groups $G$ which behave similarly to elementary abelian $p$-groups with $p$ prime, that is, there exists a subgroup $N$ such that all elements of $G\setminus N$ are conjugate or inverse-conjugate under $\Aut(G)$.…
Among the properties of homogeneity of incidence structures flag-transitivity obviously is a particularly important and natural one. Consequently, in the last decades also flag-transitive Steiner tdesigns (i.e. flag-transitive t-(v,k,1)…
Let $n\geq 3$ be an integer. Let $F_n$ be the Fermat curve defined by the Fermat equation $x^n+y^n=z^n$. For a curve $C/\mathbb{Q}$, we say an algebraic point $P\in C(\bar{\mathbb{Q}})$ is primitive if the Galois group of the Galois closure…
In this article, we investigate symmetric 2-designs of prime order admitting a flag-transitive automorphism group G. Recently, the authors proved that the automorphism group G of this type of designs must be point-primitive, and is of…
For each finite classical group $G$, we classify the subgroups of $G$ which act transitively on a $G$-invariant set of subspaces of the natural module, where the subspaces are either totally isotropic or nondegenerate. Our proof uses the…
In this paper we show that a flag-transitive automorphism group $G$ of a non-trivial $2$-$(v,k,\lambda)$ design with $\lambda\geq (r, \lambda)^2$ is not of product action type. In conclusion, $G$ is a primitive group of affine or almost…
Let $\mathcal D$ be a nontrivial symmetric $(v,k,\lambda)$ design, and $G$ be a subgroup of the full automorphism group of $\mathcal D$. In this paper we prove that if $G$ acts flag-transitively, point-primitively on $\mathcal D$ and…
This paper is devoted to the classification of all flag-transitive point-primitive non-trivial $2$-$(v, k, \lambda)$ designs with the alternating group $A_n$($n \le 10$) as the socle of their automorphism groups, and 87 different designs…
We present a new proof, which is independent of the finite simple group classification and applies also to infinite groups, that quasiprimitive permutation groups of simple diagonal type cannot be embedded into wreath products in product…
A generalized quadrangle is a point-line incidence geometry such that any two points lie on at most one line and, given a line $\ell$ and a point $P$ not incident with $\ell$, there is a unique point of $\ell$ collinear with $P$. We study…
In this paper we analyze the structure of transitive permutation groups that have trivial four point stabilizers, but some nontrivial three point stabilizer. In particular we give a complete, detailed classification when the group is simple…
Diagonal groups are one of the classes of finite primitive permutation groups occurring in the conclusion of the O'Nan-Scott theorem. Several of the other classes have been described as the automorphism groups of geometric or combinatorial…
In this article, we investigate symmetric $(v,k,\lambda)$ designs $\mathcal{D}$ with $\lambda$ prime admitting flag-transitive and point-primitive automorphism groups $G$. We prove that if $G$ is an almost simple group with socle a finite…
This paper is devoted to the study of $2$-designs with $\lambda\ge (r,\lambda)^2$ admitting a flag-transitive automorphism group $G$. The group $G$ has been shown to be point-primitive of either almost simple or affine type. In this paper,…
Suppose we have a finite thick generalised quadrangle whose automorphism group $G$ acts primitively on both the set of points and the set of lines. Then $G$ must be almost simple. In this paper, we show that $\operatorname{soc}(G)$ cannot…
Let $A$ be an elementary abelian $r$-group with rank at least $3$ that acts faithfully on the finite $r'$-group $G$. Assume that $G$ is $A$-simple, so that $G = K_{1} \times\cdots\times K_{n}$ where $K_{1},\ldots,K_{n}$ is a collection of…
We prove that if a Cartesian product of alternating groups is topologically finitely generated, then it is the profinite completion of a finitely generated residually finite group. The same holds for Cartesian producs of other simple groups…
A classification is given for factorizations of almost simple groups with at least one factor solvable, and it is then applied to characterize $s$-arc-transitive Cayley graphs of solvable groups, leading to a striking corollary: Except the…
We classify the regular maps $\mathcal M$ which have automorphism groups $G$ acting faithfully and primitively on their vertices. As a permutation group $G$ must be of almost simple or affine type, with dihedral point stabilisers. We show…