The primitive permutation groups of degree less than 2500. (Q2576200)

The O'Nan-Scott Theorem classifies primitive permutation groups of finite degree \(n\) according to their socles: those of affine type (those with Abelian socles), and those of nonaffine type which fall into four subtypes. The history of the enumeration of primitive permutation groups of small degrees goes back to C. Jordan in 1871. Interest in the problem increased with the rise of computational group theory: \textit{C. C. Sims} gave a list up to degree \(20\) [Comput. Probl. abstract Algebra, Proc. Conf. Oxford 1967, 169-183 (1970; Zbl 0215.10002)] which he later extended to degree \(50\); \textit{J. D. Dixon} and \textit{B. Mortimer} gave a list of the groups of nonaffine type of degree \(<1000\) [Math. Proc. Camb. Philos. Soc. 103, No. 2, 213-238 (1988; Zbl 0646.20003)]; and \textit{M. W. Short} gave a list of the solvable groups (of affine type) up to degree \(255\) [The primitive soluble permutation groups of degree less than 256, Lect. Notes Math. 1519 (1992; Zbl 0752.20001)]. Some other special cases of nonsolvable primitive groups with Abelian socles have also been enumerated. These lists (with some small corrections) are now available in data bases in the computer algebra systems GAP and Magma. In the present paper the author extends these results to compute a list of all primitive groups of degree \(<2500\) which he is making available as a data base for these systems. At the end of the paper the author gives a summary table (in a form similar to that of Dixon and Mortimer) of the groups of nonaffine type and a census of the numerous groups of affine type. The author points out that a group of degree \(574\) (\(L_2(41)\) acting on the cosets of \(A_5\)) has been missed from all previous lists.