Pushing up weak BN-pairs of rank two (Q4034564)

In the paper under review the authors investigate the following situation occurring often in the proof of the classification of finite simple groups. Let \(G\) be a finite group and \(M\) be a maximal 2-local subgroup of \(G\). Assume that \(M\) does not contain a Sylow 2-subgroup of \(G\). What can be said about the structure of \(M\)? This question is solved completely in the paper in a special case. Set \(Q = O_ 2(M)\), \(\overline{M} = M/Q\) and \(K = [Q,O^ 2(M)]\). The following is proved: Corollary. Suppose that \(C_ M(Q) \subseteq Q\) and \(\overline{M}\) is a rank 2 group of Lie type in characteristic 2 (allowing also \(\text{Sp}_ 4(2)'\), \(G_ 2(2)\), \(3\text{Sp}_ 4(2)\), \(3\text{Sp}_ 4(2)'\), and \(^ 2F_ 4(2)'\)). Then \(\overline{M}\) is isomorphic to one of the following groups: \(\text{SL}_ 3(2^ n)\), \(\text{Sp}_ 4(2)\), \(G_ 2(2)\), \(\Omega_ 6^ -(2)\), \(O_ 6^ -(2)\), \(\text{Sp}_ 4(2)'\), \(3\text{Sp}_ 4(2)\). Moreover, either \(K/C_ K(O^ 2(M))\) is a natural \(\overline{M}\)-module, or \(\overline{M}\simeq\text{SL}_ 3(q)\) and \(| K| = q^ 6\), \(q^ 9\) or \(q^{20}\). The Theorem, the main result of the paper (it is too long to be stated here), gives the precise structure of \(K\). A list of some known examples of possible \(G\) is given.