Finite distance-transitive generalized polygons (Q1337124)

This paper is end and beginning. It puts an end to conjectures and rumours of proofs concerning the question whether or not all finite generalized polygons with a group acting distance transitively on the set of points are known. The paper answers this question affirmatively. A table of all finite distance transitive generalized polygons along with the possible collineation groups is given. The paper provides a good starting point for the search for weaker assumptions which still produce the same table. To people working on that field neither the result nor the proof offer any surprise. The proof uses the theory of point-transitive graphs to see that in the thick case the group is almost simple. Using the classification of finite simple groups all possibilities are checked. The checking of the groups displayed in the Altlas takes place in another paper [the authors, Lond. Math. Soc., Lect. Note Ser. 191, 89-102 (1993; Zbl 0792.51004)]. As a corollary to the classification of finite distance transitive generalized polygons the authors obtain that any finite group with an irreducible B,N-pair of rank 2 arises from a group of Lie type. Again, this proves a conjecture made by J. Tits. Finally, the classification is employed to obtain results of half-Moufang hexagons and octagons. The authors show that if \(\mathcal S\) is a thick finite generalized hexagon or octagon and if \(G\) is a collineation group acting on \(\mathcal S\), then \(({\mathcal S}, G)\) is half-Moufang if and only if \(({\mathcal S}, G)\) or its dual is distance transitive. Thus for hexagons with parameters different from \((2,2)\) and for octagons with parameters different from \((2,4)\) and \((4,2)\) half-Moufang implies Moufang. Moreover, \(({\mathcal S}, G)\) is Moufang if and only if \(G\) is flag transitive on \(\mathcal S\).