Braid group action via \(\text{GL}_ n(q)\) and \(\text{U}_ n(q)\), and Galois realizations (Q689865)

The present paper contains group-theoretic work in order to use criteria for realizing groups as Galois groups given by the author in [Math. Ann. 293, 163-176 (1992; Zbl 0780.11055)] and in a forthcoming paper [Braid group action, embedding problems and the groups \(\text{PGL}_ n(q)\), \(\text{PU}_ n (q^ 2)\)]. In order to state transitivity for the braid group action on certain generating systems of a finite group \(G\) attached to the group \(\text{GL}_ n(q)\), one needs to determine the subgroup \(\Delta\) of \(\text{GL}_ n(q)\) generated by certain explicit matrices, coming from the braid group action. The author proves that \(\Delta\) acts irreducibly in \(\mathbb{F}_ q^ n\) and primitively if \(n>2\), then he gives a classification of the groups \(\Delta\). Finally, applying these results and the criteria it is obtained that certain groups \(\text{GL}_ n(q)\) and \(\text{PU}_ n(q)\) are Galois groups of regular extensions of \(\mathbb{Q}(X)\). Namely, if \(q>4\) is either odd or a power of 4, \(n\) is even and \(n\geq \varphi(q-1)\) or if \(q=p\) is a prime, \((n,p-1)=2\) and \(p\equiv 7 \pmod {12}\) or \(p\equiv 5\pmod 8\), the group \(\text{GL}_ n(q)\) (resp. \(\text{PGL}_ n(q)\)) occurs as Galois group over \(\mathbb{Q}(X)\). If \(q=p^{2s}\), \(q\) or \(s\) is odd, \(p\) a prime, \(s\) a positive integer, and \(n\geq 4\) is even and \(n\geq\varphi(p^ s-1)\), the group \(\text{PU}_ n(q)\) occurs as Galois group over \(\mathbb{Q}(X)\).