Deformation theory and finite simple quotients of triangle groups. II. (Q473145)

This is a sequel to a paper with the same title, [part I, J. Eur. Math. Soc. (JEMS) 16, No. 7, 1349-1375 (2014; Zbl 1312.20030)], and I refer the reader to the review of that paper for the background to both papers, as well as a summary of what was done in the first one. In this second paper, some improvements are made to the main results of the first, at the expense of additional complications. The authors start with a representation of the triangle group \(\Delta\) to \(\text{PGL}_2\), in place of one from \(\Delta\) to \(\text{SO}(3)\), and this alternative approach allows them to eliminate many of the exceptional cases of their earlier main theorem. The exceptional types are reduced to \(X=A_r\) for \(1\leq r\leq 19\), and \(B_3\), \(C_2\), \(D_4\), \(D_5\), \(D_9\), \(E_6\) and \(G_2\). In particular, it follows that every hyperbolic triangle group is saturated with finite quotients of type \(E_7\) and \(E_8\). Also they improve their answer to a question by Guralnick, showing that \(\Delta(2,3,7)\) is saturated with finite quotients of type \(X\) except possibly when \(X=A_r\) for \(1\leq r\leq 19\), or \(B_3\), \(C_2\), \(D_4\), \(D_5\), \(D_9\) or \(E_6\).