No label defined (Q3840449)

This article is a comprehensive survey of important results in the investigation of finite rational matrix groups that have been achieved since the appearance of the author's previous survey [Prog. Math. 95, 477-496 (1991; Zbl 0748.20027)]. Systematic development of the methods outlined in that paper, together with the classification of finite simple groups and the advances of algorithmic and computational methods have brought up the topic to a significantly higher level, culminating in a complete classification of rational irreducible maximal finite groups (r.i.m.f. groups for short) up to degree \(31\), obtained by the author and G. Nebe. These results are centered around the problem of classifying the r.i.m.f. groups in a given dimension. Another problem is to find infinite series of r.i.m.f. groups; here again a key role is played by the classification of finite simple groups. The interrelation between the r.i.m.f. groups of a given degree \(n\) is investigated via different simplicial complexes: the vertices of those complexes are the r.i.m.f. groups of degree \(n\) or their conjugacy classes, and vertices \(G_1,G_2,\ldots,G_k\) form a \(k\)-simplex if they have the same commuting algebra with their intersection \(G_1\cap G_2\cap\ldots\cap G_k\). The author notes a connection between these complexes and the Bruhat-Tits buildings of reductive \(p\)-adic groups, and suggests to clarify this connection. Among the lattices related to r.i.m.f. groups there are two particularly interesting classes. The first one, that of globally irreducible lattices, was distinguished by \textit{J. G. Thompson} [J. Algebra 38, 523-524 (1976; Zbl 0344.20001)] and \textit{B. H. Gross} [J. Am. Math. Soc. 3, No. 4, 929-960 (1990; Zbl 0745.11035)]. The interest in this class stems from its connection with geometries of sporadic finite simple groups and Mordell-Weil groups of elliptic curves over function fields; it is also interesting from the viewpoint of representation theory of finite groups. The second one, that of \(l\)-modular groups, was singled out by \textit{J. H. Conway} and \textit{N. J. A. Sloane} [J. Number Theory 48, No. 3, 373-382 (1994; Zbl 0810.11041)] and \textit{H.-G. Quebbemann} [J. Number Theory 54, No. 2, 190-202 (1995; Zbl 0874.11038)] as a natural generalization of even unimodular lattices; some of these lattices are very dense. The author ends each section of the paper with various problems that should motivate further research in this important area. For the entire collection see [Zbl 0892.00032].