A computer-friendly construction of the monster

Publication date 22 February 2020

(p)-adic representations of finite groups (20C11) Representations of sporadic groups (20C34) Simple groups: sporadic groups (20D08)

Abstract: Let

m a t h b b M

be the monster group which is the largest sporadic finite simple group, and has first been constructed in 1982 by Griess. In 1985, Conway has constructed a 196884-dimensional representation

h o

of

m a t h b b M

with matrix coefficients in

m a t h b b Z [f r a c 12]

. So these matrices may be reduced modulo any (not necessarily prime) odd number

p

, leading to representations of

m a t h b b M

in odd characteristic. The representation

h o

is based on representations of two maximal subgroups

G_{x 0}

and

N_{0}

of

m a t h b b M

. In ATLAS notation,

G_{x 0}

has structure

2_{+}^{1 + 24} . m b o x {C o}_{1}

and

N_{0}

has structure

2^{2 + 11 + 22} . (M_{24} i m e s S_{3})

. Conway has constructed an explicit set of generators of

N_{0}

, but not of

G_{x 0}

. This paper is essentially a rewrite of Conway's construction augmented by an explicit construction of an element of

G_{x 0} s e t m i n u s N_{0}

. This gives us a complete set of generators of

m a t h b b M

. It turns out that the matrices of all generators of

m a t h b b M

consist of monomial blocks, and of blocks which are essentially Hadamard matrices scaled by a negative power of two. Multiplication with such a generator can be programmed very efficiently if the modulus

p

is of shape

2^{k} - 1

. So this paper may be considered a as programmer's reference for Conway's construction of the monster group

m a t h b b M

. We have implemented representations of

m a t h b b M

modulo 3, 7, 15, 31, 127, and 255.

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