Weak Phan systems of type \(C_n\). (Q2386021)

The background for this paper are papers due to \textit{K.-W. Phan} [J. Aust. Math. Soc., Ser. A 23, 67-77, 129-146 (1977; Zbl 0369.20026, Zbl 0381.20034)]. Recently the author, C. Hoffman and S. Shpectorov started a revision project of these papers which now goes far ahead. The modern approach is related to the so-called flipflop geometries introduced by these authors. The paper under review concludes the investigations of weak Phan systems of type \(C_n\) started in a paper due to \textit{C. Hoffman}, \textit{S. Shpectorov} and the author [J. Algebra 264, No. 2, 358-384 (2003; Zbl 1026.20006)], which says that for \(n\geq 3\) and \(q\geq 8\) a group \(G\) which admits a weak Phan system of type \(C_n\) over \(\text{GF}(q^2)\) has a homomorphic image \(\text{Sp}(2n,q)\).