Sporadic simple groups which are completions of the Goldschmidt \(G_3\)-amalgam (Q1840611)

In his famous paper [Ann. Math., II. Ser. 111, 377-406 (1980; Zbl 0475.05043)] \textit{D. M. Goldschmidt} classified what is nowadays called Goldschmidt amalgams. These are two finite groups \(P_1\), \(P_2\) such that \(|P_i:P_i\cap P_j|=3\) for \(\{i,j\}=\{1,2\}\) and there is no nontrivial subgroup in \(P_1\cap P_2\), which is normal in both groups. His main result was that \(|P_i|\mid 2^7\cdot 3\) and that he could give the structure of \(P_1\) and \(P_2\). It is an interesting question which groups are completions of such amalgams, i.e. are factor groups of \(P_1*_{P_1\cap P_2}P_2\). In the paper under review the authors consider the so called \(G_3\)-amalgam. Here \(P_1\cong P_2=\Sigma_4\). They show that among the sporadic simple groups \(J_3\), \(M_{24}\) \(He\), \(Ru\), \(Suz\), \(O'N\), \(Fi_{22}\), \(HN\), \(Ly\), \(Th\), \(Fi_{23}\), \(Co_1\), \(J_4\), \(Fi_{24}'\), \(F_2\) are completions. All the others but \(M\) are not. The case of the Monster is still open. The authors claim that the Monster too is a completion of the \(G_3\)-amalgam.