Minimal degree, base size, order: selected topics on primitive permutation groups (Q6139346)

This paper is a survey of the influential article of \textit{M. W. Liebeck} [Arch. Math. 43, 11--15 (1984; Zbl 0544.20005)]. Let \(G\) be a permutation group of the finite set \(\Omega\), \(\mu(G)\) be the minimal degree of \(G\) (that is the smallest number of elements of \(\Omega\) moved by any nonidentity permutation in \(G\)), \(b(G)\) be the minimal size of a base for \(G\). Recall that a nonempty subset \(\Delta \subseteq \Omega\) is a base if \(\bigcap_{\alpha \in \Delta}G_{\alpha}=1\). Liebeck's article contains three main results about a finite primitive permutation group \(G\) and these concern the numerical invariants \(|G|\), \(\mu(G)\), and \(b(G)\). In the paper under review, the author restates these theorems and discusses the three invariants. He also gives a short history, with some relevant references, of the work done on these topics after the publication of Liebeck's article.