Representations of \(M_{12}\) (Q2365772)

The aim of this paper is to give (moderately) explicit constructions of certain interesting representations of the Mathieu group \(M_{12}\) and its double cover. These are the 10-dimensional representation of \(2M_{12}\) over \(\mathbb{Q}(\sqrt{-2})\), and the 45-dimensional representation of \(M_{12}\) over \(\mathbb{Q}\). No actual matrices are given, although in principle a sufficiently determined reader could construct them from the information given. The starting point of the first construction is a 10-dimensional irreducible representation of \(S_ 6\), obtained as a constituent of the permutation representation on the 30 ordered pairs from 6 points. The 3960 images under \(2M_{12}\) of the corresponding 30 vectors are then described in detail. The second construction is similar, and starts from a 45-dimensional representation of \(M_{11}\), obtained as a constituent of the permutation representation of the 55 unordered pairs from 11 points. An alternative construction of this representation can be obtained from the construction of a 45-dimensional representation of \(M_{24}\) by the author in the subsequent paper [J. Algebra 156, No. 2, 370-384 (1993; see the following review Zbl 0791.20010)].