Related papers: Almost simple groups of Lie type and symmetric des…

If $G$ is a finite group and $k =q>2$ or $k=q+1$ for a prime power $q$ then, for infinitely many integers $v$, there is a $2$-$(v,k,1)$-design ${\bf D}$ for which ${\rm Aut} {\bf D}\cong G$.

The automorphism group $\Sigma$ of a compact topological projective plane with a $16$-dimensional point space is a locally compact group. If the dimension of $\Sigma$ is at least $29$, then $\Sigma$ is known to be a Lie group. For the…

In this paper we develop several general methods for analysing flag-transitive point-imprimitive $2$-designs, which give restrictions on both the automorphisms and parameters of such designs. These constitute a tool-kit for analysing these…

The purpose of this paper is to classify all pairs $(\mathcal{D}, G)$, where $\mathcal{D}$ is a non-trivial $2$-$(v, k, 2)$ design, and $G\leq Aut(\mathcal{D})$ acts transitively on the set of blocks of $\mathcal{D}$ and primitively on the…

We give a construction of a family of designs with a specified point-partition, and determine the subgroup of automorphisms leaving invariant the point-partition. We give necessary and sufficient conditions for a design in the family to…

Let $\mathcal{D}$ be a non-trivial $G$-block-transitive $3$-$(v,k,1)$ design, where $T\leq G \leq \mathrm{Aut}(T)$ for some finite non-abelian simple group $T$. It is proved that if $T$ is a simple exceptional group of Lie type, then $T$ is…

This paper considers flag-transitive $4$-$(q+1,k,\lambda)$ designs with $\lambda\geq5$ and $q+1>k>4$. Let the automorphism group of a design $\cal D$ be a simple group $G=PSL(2,q)$. Depend on the fact that the setwise stabilizer $G_B$ must…

In 2008, Schneider and Van Maldeghem proved that if a group acts flag-transitively, point-primitively, and line-primitively on a generalised hexagon or generalised octagon, then it is an almost simple group of Lie type. We show that…

This paper investigates block-transitive automorphism groups of t-(k^2,k,\lambda) designs. Let D be a non-trivial t-(k^2,k,\lambda) design, G \leq \Aut(D) be block-transitive with X\unlhd G\leq \Aut(X), where X = PSL(2,q)(q\geq4). Then q =…

In 1987, Huw Davies proved that, for a flag-transitive point-imprimitive $2$-$(v,k,\lambda)$ design, both the block-size $k$ and the number $v$ of points are bounded by functions of $\lambda$, but he did not make these bounds explicit. In…

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…

A famous result of Higman and McLaughlin \cite{HM} in 1961 asserts that any flag-transitive automorphism group $G$ of a $2$-design $\mathcal{D}$ with $\lambda=1$ acts point-primitively on $\mathcal{D}$. In this paper, we show that the…

Given an integer $k\ge3$ and a group $G$ of odd order, if there exists a $2$-$(v,k,1)$-design and if $v$ is sufficiently large, then there is such a design whose automorphism group has a subgroup isomorphic to $G$. A weaker result is proved…

Let $N=L_n(q)$, {$n \geq 2$}, $q$ a prime power, be a projective linear simple group. We classify all Steiner quadruple systems admitting a group $G$ with $N \leq G \leq \Aut(N)$. In particular, we show that $G$ cannot act as a group of…

Let $q$ be a prime power and $V\cong{\mathbb F}_q^n$. A $t$-$(n,k,\lambda)_q$ design, or simply a subspace design, is a pair ${\mathcal D}=(V,{\mathcal B})$, where ${\mathcal B}$ is a subset of the set of all $k$-dimensional subspaces of…

Let $G$ be a collineation group of a thick finite generalised hexagon or generalised octagon $\Gamma$. If $G$ acts primitively on the points of $\Gamma$, then a recent result of Bamberg et al. shows that $G$ must be an almost simple group…

We study complex projective plane curves with a given group of automorphisms. Let $G$ be a simple primitive subgroup of $PGL(3, \mathbb{C})$, which is isomorphic to $A_{6}$, $A_{5}$ or $PSL(2, \mathbb{F}_{7})$. We obtain a necessary and…

Let $\boldsymbol{G}$ be an algebraic group of exceptional Lie type in characteristic $p$, $G=\boldsymbol{G}^{\sigma}$ its fixed-point subgroup under the action of a Steinberg endomorphism $\sigma$, and $\overline{G}$ an almost simple group…

This paper is a further contribution to the classification of line-transitive finite linear spaces. We prove that if S is a non-trivial finite linear space with the Fang-Li parameter gcd(k,r) is 9 or 10, the automorphism group G of S is…

For a finite group G of Lie type and a prime p, we compare the automorphism groups of the fusion and linking systems of G at p with the automorphism group of G itself. When p is the defining characteristic of G, they are all isomorphic,…