Multiplicity-free permutation representations of finite linear groups (Q1066258)

A permutation representation of a group \(G\) on a set \(\Omega\) is said to be multiplicity-free if the associated permutation character \(\pi\) of \(G\) satisfies \((\pi,\chi)_ G\leq 1\) for all irreducible characters \(\chi\) of \(G\). Any such representation is transitive, so that \(\pi =1^ G_ H\), where \(\alpha\in \Omega\) and \(H=G_{\alpha}\). It is of interest to determine the multiplicity-free permutation representations of the finite simple groups and their automorphism groups -- for example, such results are of use in classifying distance-transitive graphs. For the alternating and symmetric groups the problem was solved by the third author [in Lond. Math. Soc. Lect. Note Ser. 49, 337--353 (1981; Zbl 0454.20010)]. In this paper all the primitive multiplicity-free permutation representations of any group with socle \(\text{PSL}_ n(q)\), where \(n\geq 8\), are determined. There are several interesting families of such representations: for example, if \(G=\text{GL}_ n(q)\) and \(H\) is the normalizer of one of the subgroups \(\text{GL}_ n(q^{1/2})\), \(\text{GU}_ n(q^{1/2})\), \(\text{Sp}_ n(q)\) and \(\text{GL}_{n}(q^ 2)\) (with \(q\) square in the first two cases and \(n\) even in the latter two), then \(1^ G_ H\) is multiplicity-free. This is due to \textit{R. Gow} [Math. Z. 188, 45--54 (1984; Zbl 0564.20020)] in the first two cases, to \textit{A. A. Klyachko} [Dokl. Akad. Nauk SSSR 261, 275--278 (1981; Zbl 0496.20031)] in the third, and is Theorem 2 of this paper in the last case.