The geometry and cohomology of \(M_{12}\). II (Q1908578)

[For part I cf. \textit{A. Adem, J. Maginnis} and \textit{R. J. Milgram}, J. Algebra 139, No. 1, 90-133 (1991; Zbl 0743.20052).] The authors determine the Poincaré series and explicit ring generators for the \(\text{mod }3\) cohomology rings of the Mathieu group \(M_{12}\) and its automorphism group. As part of their calculations they give considerable information about the cohomology of 3-local subgroups of \(M_{12}\), in particular the normalizers of elementary abelian 3-subgroups. It turns out that the \(\text{mod }3\) cohomology of \(M_{12}\) is Cohen-Macaulay, and is isomorphic to the \(\text{mod }3\) cohomology of \(\text{GL}_3(3)\), which has the same Sylow 3-subgroup. These in turn have the same \(\text{mod }3\) cohomology as a certain free product with amalgamation which the authors construct.