Permutation groups without exponentially many orbits on the power set (Q1323837): Difference between revisions

The main result of the paper gives the existence of an (explicitly not calculated) constant \(c_ 1\) such that if \(G\) is a permutation group of degree \(n\) without any composition factors isomorphic to an alternating group of degree \(> t \geq 4\), then the number of orbits of \(G\) on the power set is at least \(\text{exp}(c_ 1 n/t)\). \{The proof -- as given -- works only if large alternating sections are excluded, but it can be modified to yield the stated form of the result. Namely, in the imprimitive case one should use the fact that the kernel of the action on the set of blocks is a subdirect product of transitive groups of smaller degree. The same inaccuracy has already occured in the paper of \textit{L. Babai, P. J. Cameron} and the reviewer [J. Algebra 79, 161-168 (1982; Zbl 0493.20001)].\} The result is then applied to the case when \(G\) is the automorphism group of a Steiner system. In that case the order of \(G\) is also estimated. \{The last displayed inequality in the proof of Lemma A3 is in error, but it can be corrected at the cost of increasing the constant to \(c=4+o(1)\).\} The proofs are elementary.