Related papers: Flag-transitive, point-imprimitive symmetric $2$-$…
Let $\mathcal{D}$ be a nontrivial $3$-$(v,k,1)$ design admitting a block-transitive group $G$ of automorphisms. A recent work of Gan and the second author asserts that $G$ is either affine or almost simple. In this paper, it is proved that…
We consider $2$-designs which admit a group of automorphisms that is flag-transitive and leaves invariant a chain of nontrivial point-partitions. We build on our recent work on $2$-designs which are block-transitive but not necessarily…
In this paper, we show that for a non-trivial quasi-symmetric $2$-design $\mathcal{D}$ with two block intersection numbers $x=0$ and $2\leq y\leq10$, if $G\leq \mathrm{Aut}(\mathcal{D})$ is flag-transitive and point-primitive, then $G$ is…
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…
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…
In this article, we study $2$-designs with $\gcd(r,\lambda)=1$ admitting a flag-transitive almost simple automorphism group with socle a finite simple exceptional group of Lie type. We obtain four infinite families of such designs and…
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 =…
We solve the long-standing open problem of classifying all 3-(v,k,1) designs with a flag-transitive group of automorphisms (cf. A. Delandtsheer, Geom. Dedicata 41 (1992), p. 147; and in: "Handbook of Incidence Geometry", ed. by F.…
It was shown in 1989 by Delandtsheer and Doyen that, for a $2$-design with $v$ points and block size $k$, a block-transitive group of automorphisms can be point-imprimitive (that is, leave invariant a nontrivial partition of the point set)…
A $3$-$(v,\{4,6\},1)$ design is a configuration of $v$ points and a collection of $4$- and $6$-element subsets called blocks, that jointly contain every 3-element subset exactly once. Using an exhaustive computer search on $v\leq 28$ points…
Let $\Gamma$ be a $G$-symmetric graph with vertex set $V$. We suppose that $V$ admits a $G$-partition $\mathcal{B} = \{ B_0, ... , B_b \}$, with parts of size $v$, and that the quotient graph induced on $\mathcal B$ is a complete graph of…
A graph $\Gamma$ is $G$-symmetric if $G$ is a group of automorphisms of $\Gamma$ which is transitive on the set of ordered pairs of adjacent vertices of $\Gamma$. If $V(\Gamma)$ admits a nontrivial $G$-invariant partition ${\cal B}$ such…
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…
A graph $\Gamma$ is called $G$-symmetric if it admits $G$ as a group of automorphisms acting transitively on the set of ordered pairs of adjacent vertices. We give a classification of $G$-symmetric graphs $\Gamma$ with $V(\Gamma)$ admitting…
A Steiner quadruple system of order v is a 3-(v,4,1) design, and will be denoted SQS(v). Using the classification of finite 2-transitive permutation groups all SQS(v) with a flag-transitive automorphism group are completely classified, thus…
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)…
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 ${\rm Aut} {\bf D}\cong G$.
Let $\mathcal{D}=(\mathcal{P},\mathcal{B})$ be a non-trivial block-transitive $t$-$(k^2,k,\lambda)$ design with $G\leq \Aut(\mathcal{D})$ and $X\unlhd G\leq \Aut(X)$, where $X=PSL(n,q)(n\geq3).$ We prove that $t=2$ and the parameters…
A graph $\Gamma$ is $G$-symmetric if it admits $G$ as a group of automorphisms acting transitively on the set of arcs of $\Gamma$, where an arc is an ordered pair of adjacent vertices. Let $\Gamma$ be a $G$-symmetric graph such that its…
A design is called $t$-pyramidal when it has an automorphism group which fixes $t$ points and acts sharply transitively on the remaining points. We determine all symmetric $(2^k-1,2^{k-1},2^{k-2})$-designs which are $(2^{k-1}-1)$-pyramidal…