A reduction theorem for primitive binary permutation groups.

DOI10.1112/BLMS/BDW005MaRDI QIDQ2801723zbMATH OpenOpenAlexFDO

Authors Joshua Wiscons

Publication date 21 April 2016

Published in Bulletin of the London Mathematical Society (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/1506.04187

zbMATH Keywords

binary permutation groupsfinite permutation groupsprimitive permutation groups

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Characterization theorems for permutation groups (20B10) Primitive groups (20B15)

Abstract: A permutation group $(X,G)$ is said to be binary, or of relational complexity $2$, if for all $n$, the orbits of $G$ (acting diagonally) on $X^2$ determine the orbits of $G$ on $X^n$ in the following sense: for all $$, $$ and $$ are $G$-conjugate if and only if every pair of entries from $$ is $G$-conjugate to the corresponding pair from $$. Cherlin has conjectured that the only finite primitive binary permutation groups are $S_n$, groups of prime order, and affine orthogonal groups $VtimesO(V)$ where $V$ is a vector space equipped with an anisotropic quadratic form; recently he succeeded in establishing the conjecture for those groups with an abelian socle. In this note, we show that what remains of the conjecture reduces, via the O'Nan-Scott Theorem, to groups with a nonabelian simple socle.

Review text

In this context a permutation group \((X,G)\) is called binary if the orbits of \(G\) on \(X^n\) (\(n\geq 2\)) are determined by the orbits of \(G\) on \(X^2\) in the sense that two points \(\overline x,\overline y\in X^n\) are in the same \(G\)-orbit \(\iff\) each pair of entries in \(\overline x\) is in the same \(G\)-orbit as the corresponding pair of entries in \(\overline y\).NEWLINENEWLINE \textit{G. Cherlin} [in: The Gelfand Mathematical Seminars, 1996-1999. Dedicated to the memory of Chih-Han Sah. Boston: Birkhäuser. 15-48 (2000; Zbl 0955.03040)] conjectures that if \(G\) is a finite primitive binary group, then either \(G=S_n\) acting naturally, or \(G\) is cyclic of prime order acting regularly, or \(G\) is an affine orthogonal group of the form \(V\rtimes O(V)\) where \(V\) is a vector space with an anisotropic quadratic form and \(O(V)\) is its full orthogonal group. Recent work by \textit{G. Cherlin} has established the conjecture in the case that \(G\) has an abelian socle [see J. Algebr. Comb. 43, No. 2, 339-374 (2016; Zbl 1378.20001)].NEWLINENEWLINE In the present paper the author proves the following. (Theorem A): If \(G\) is a finite primitive binary permutation group with a nonabelian socle, then either (i) \(G\) is almost simple, or (ii) \(G\) is a subgroup of a wreath product \(H~wr~S_m\) in its product action where \(H\) is a primitive binary almost simple permutation group that is not \(2\)-transitive. This implies that a proof of Cherlin's conjecture would follow from a proof of the following conjecture: the only finite primitive binary permutation groups with nonabelian socles are \(S_n\) with its natural action.

Recommendations

• Cherlin's conjecture for almost simple groups of Lie rank 1
• Cherlin's conjecture for sporadic simple groups
• Binary permutation groups: alternating and classical groups
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 4055862
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Cites work

• Arities of permutation groups: Wreath products and \(k\)-sets
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 894528 (Why is no real title available?)
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 1421206 (Why is no real title available?)
• On a combinatorial problem from the model theory of wreath products. I
• On a combinatorial problem from the model theory of wreath products. III
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Cited in

(11)

• Cherlin's conjecture for sporadic simple groups
• On the relational complexity of a finite permutation group
• Cherlin's conjecture for finite primitive binary permutation groups
• On a conjecture on the permutation characters of finite primitive groups
• Binary permutation groups: alternating and classical groups
• Cherlin's conjecture for almost simple groups of Lie rank 1
• On the Burness-Giudici conjecture
• A classification of finite primitive IBIS groups with alternating socle
• The binary actions of simple groups with a single conjugacy class of involutions
• The binary actions of alternating groups
• The binary actions of simple groups of Lie type of characteristic 2

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