Distance-regular graphs and new block designs obtained from the Mathieu groups (Q6122404)

Distance-regular graphs admitting a vertex-transitive action of the Mathieu groups \(M_{11}\), \(M_{12}\), \(M_{22}\), \(M_{23}\), and \(M_{24}\) are constructed with the use of a computer. For \(M_{11}\), it is proved that up to isomorphism, there are exactly five strongly regular graphs and exactly three distance-regular graphs of diameter at least three with at most \(2000\) vertices and for which the rank of the permutation representation of the group is at most \(25\), admitting a transitive action of the group \(M_{11}\). Similar theorems are derived for the groups \(M_{12}\), \(M_{22}\), \(M_{23}\), and \(M_{24}\). Eight new 2-designs having the full automorphism group isomorphic to \(M_{22}\) are also constructed.