Computing the composition factors of a permutation group in polynomial time (Q581532)

The paper gives a proof that the composition factors of a permutation group G of degree n can be computed from a given set of generators in time polynomial in n, a result that had previously been announced and sketched by the author [\textit{E. M. Luks}, J. Comput. Syst. Sci. 25, 42-65 (1982; Zbl 0493.68064); \textit{L. Babai}, \textit{W. M. Kantor}, \textit{E. M. Luks}, Computational complexity and the classification of finite simple groups, Proc. 24th IEEE Symp. Found. Comput. Sci., 162-171 (1983)]. As this author states explicitly, he restricts attention to the issue of polynomial time without disgressing to optimize the time bounds. So also the question, for which size of groups the algorithm lends itself to practical implementation and use is left undiscussed. This (in the reviewer's view) more important question has however meanwhile (a first draft of the paper under review was received 1981, the final version 1986) been the topic of several independent investigations, see in particular \textit{P. M. Neumann} [Groups, Proc. St. Andrews 1985, Lond. Math. Soc. Lect. Note Ser. 121, 59-92 (1986; Zbl 0612.20001)]. The present paper states briefly all needed prerequisites with careful references, as all these approaches it builds on the O'Nan-Scott classification of primitive permutation groups.