Embeddings of \(\text{SL}(2,27)\) in complex exceptional algebraic groups. (Q1396302)

It is known that the simple group \(\text{PSL}_2(27)\) is a subgroup of \(F_4(\mathbb{C})\), and hence of \(2E_7(\mathbb{C})\), and of \(E_7(\mathbb{C})\). But there may be other embeddings of \(\text{PSL}_2(27)\) in \(E_7(\mathbb{C})\), arising from embeddings of \(\text{SL}_2(27)\) in \(2E_7(\mathbb{C})\). It is this problem which is solved in the present paper. It turns out that there are two conjugacy classes of subgroups \(\text{SL}_2(27)\) in \(2E_7(\mathbb{C})\). An interesting twist in the argument is that the authors construct first a 56-dimensional symplectic representation of \(\text{SL}_2(27)\), and make the Lie algebra of the associated symplectic group. (As a module, this is the symmetric square of the 56-dimensional module, so has dimension 1596.) They then find all possibilities for an \(\text{SL}_2(27)\)-invariant Lie algebra of type \(E_7\) inside this large Lie algebra, using `Meat-axe' techniques for splitting a module into its composition factors.