Is there a McLaughlin geometry? (Q2496865)

McLaughlin's sporadic simple group was discovered as a group of automorphisms of a certain graph, the \textit{J. McLaughlin} graph [cf. Theory finite groups, Symp. Harvard Univ. 1968, 100--111 (1969; Zbl 0205.32503)]. In the paper under review, the author investigates the question whether there exists a McLaughlin geometry, i.e., a partially linear geometry whose collinearity graph equals the McLaughlin graph. The main result of the paper in that direction, cf. Theorem 6.1, is the fact that a McLaughlin geometry cannot satisfy what the author calls Pasch's axiom; the reviewer prefers to use the term `axiom of Veblen and Young' [see also \textit{G. Pickert}, Geom. Dedicata 50, No.~1, 81--86 (1994; Zbl 0809.51003)].