A uniqueness proof for the Monster (Q582386)

The authors give a proof of the uniqueness of the Monster group discovered by B. Fischer and R. Griess. Here the Monster group is defined as a finite group \(G\) possessing two involutions \(a\) and \(z\) such that \(C_ G(a)\) is of \(2.F_ 2\)-type and \(C_ G(z)\) is of \(2^{1+24}Co_ 1\)-type. \textit{J. Thompson} showed [Bull. Lond. Math. Soc. 11, 340-346 (1979; Zbl 0424.20012)] that under the assumption that \(G\) possesses an irreducible representation over \({\mathbb{C}}\) of degree 196883, \(G\) is uniquely determined. Later \textit{S. Norton} showed [Proc. CMS Conf. 1982, Contemp. Math. 45, 271-285 (1985; Zbl 0577.20013)] that under certain hypotheses \(G\) in fact possesses such a representation. But most details of the proof have never appeared. In the present paper the authors now give a complete uniqueness proof. They investigate the graph \(\Gamma\) whose vertices are the conjugacy class of the involution \(a\) and two such involutions are joined by an edge if there product is again conjugated to \(a\). They show that the graph \(\Gamma\) is simply connected, which means that it is uniquely determined by the given data. While the graph is determined just by involutions conjugated to \(a\), for the determination of the structure of \(\Gamma\) the centralizer of \(z\) plays an important role. Finally they show that \(G\) is in fact the automorphism group of \(\Gamma\) yielding the uniqueness of the Monster.