Related papers: Block-Transitive Automorphism Groups of $2$-$(v,5,…

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…

We determine all factorisations $X=AB$, where $X$ is a finite almost simple group and $A,B$ are core-free subgroups such that $A\cap B$ is cyclic or dihedral. As a main application, we classify the graphs $\Gamma$ admitting an almost simple…

The existence of a biplane with parameters $(121,16,2)$ is an open problem. Recently, it has been proved by Alavi, Daneshkhah and Praeger that the order of an automorphism group of a of possible biplane ${\mathcal D}$ of order $14$ divides…

Let $G$ be a finite group acting linearly on a vector space $V$. We consider the linear symmetry groups $\operatorname{GL}(Gv)$ of orbits $Gv\subseteq V$, where the \emph{linear symmetry group} $\operatorname{GL}(S)$ of a subset $S\subseteq…

A code ${\mathcal C}$ is a subset of the vertex set of a Hamming graph $H(n,q)$, and ${\mathcal C}$ is $2$-neighbour-transitive if the automorphism group $G={\rm Aut}({\mathcal C})$ acts transitively on each of the sets ${\mathcal C}$,…

Automorphisms of order $2$ are studied in order to understand generalized symmetric spaces. The groups of type $E_6$ we consider here can be realized as both the group of linear maps that leave a certain determinant invariant, and also as…

An automorphism $\alpha$ of a group $G$ is called a commuting automorphism if each element $x$ in $G$ commutes with its image $\alpha(x)$ under $\alpha$. Let $A(G)$ denote the set of all commuting automorphisms of $G$. Rai [Proc. Japan…

We investigate the possible structures imposed on a finite group by its possession of an automorphism sending a large fraction of the group elements to their cubes, the philosophy being that this should force the group to be, in some sense,…

Computational techniques for the construction of quasi-symmetric block designs are explored and applied to the case with $56$ points. One new $(56,16,18)$ and many new $(56,16,6)$ designs are discovered, and non-existence of $(56,12,9)$ and…

We study the automorphisms of a function field of genus $g\geq 2$ over an algebraically closed field of characteristic $p>0$. More precisely, we show that the order of a nilpotent subgroup $G$ of its automorphism group is bounded by $16…

Let $A$ be a group isomorphic with either $S_4$, the symmetric group on four symbols, or $D_8$, the dihedral group of order 8. Let $V$ be a normal four-subgroup of $A$ and $\alpha$ an involution in $A\setminus V$. Suppose that $A$ acts on a…

In this paper we construct structures from Mathieu group $M_{11}$. We classify transitive $t$-designs with 11, 12 and 22 points admitting a transitive action of Mathieu group $M_{11}$. Thereby we proved the existence of designs with…

We refer to $d(G)$ as the minimal cardinality of a generating set of a finite group $G$, and say that $G$ is $d$-generated if $d(G)\leq d$. A transitive permutation group $G$ is called $\frac{3}{2}$-transitive if a point stabilizer…

If $G$ is a finite group then there is an integer $M_G$ such that$,$ for $u\ge M_G$ and $u\equiv 1$ or $3$ (mod 6), there is a Steiner triple system $U$ on $u$ points for which ${\rm Aut} U \cong G. \ $ If $V$ is a Steiner triple system…

This paper takes a significant step towards confirming a long-standing and far-reaching conjecture of Peter J. Cameron and Cheryl E. Praeger. They conjectured in 1993 that there are no non-trivial block-transitive 6-designs. We prove that…

Let $G$ be a group of collineations of a finite thick generalised quadrangle $\Gamma$. Suppose that $G$ acts primitively on the point set $\mathcal{P}$ of $\Gamma$, and transitively on the lines of $\Gamma$. We show that the primitive…

We study $(G,2)$-arc-transitive graphs for innately transitive permutation groups $G$ such that $G$ can be embedded into a wreath product $\sym\Gamma\wr\sy\ell$ acting in product action on $\Gamma^\ell$. We find two such connected graphs:…

We prove that an infinite family of semiprimitive groups are graph-restrictive. This adds to the evidence for the validity of the PSV Conjecture and increases the minimal imprimitive degree for which this conjecture is open to 12. Our…

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 $G$ be a permutation group acting on a set $V$. A partition $\pi$ of $V$ is distinguishing if the only element of $G$ that fixes each cell of $\pi$ is the identity. The distinguishing number of $G$ is the minimum number of cells in a…