Computing in permutation and matrix groups. III: Sylow subgroups (Q1123257)

The contents of the paper is best described by a quotation from its conclusion: The paper describes ``an algorithm for computing Sylow p- subgroups which performs successive cyclic extensions in a sequence of centralizers. In the case of a group of permutations or matrices over a finite field, the next extending element is found using a backtrack search of the current centralizer. The algorithm is efficient enough to construct Sylow p-subgroups of order up to \(p^{10}\), for small primes p. In the case of permutation groups, the algorithm can often handle groups of degree up to 500.'' Possible competitive procedures for the computation of Sylow subgroups of permutation groups will be described in a forthcoming paper of the authors in which they use natural homomorphisms (such as constituent- and block-homomorphisms) and in a forthcoming paper of D. Holt, who uses normalizers instead of centralizers, having designed improved methods for the computation of normalizers. The present paper is the third in a series [Part II, cf. Math. Comput. 39, 671-680 (1983; Zbl 0552.20003)] in which the authors report on algorithms for the investigation of permutation groups drawing from their long experience with this topic gained in the construction of the CAYLEY system. The paper gives detailed algorithm descriptions and informative timings; moreover it has the special merit of discussing not only those thoughts in the design of the algorithms that led to success, but also some of those that looked promising but had to be discarded.