On the classification of extremely primitive affine groups (Q6165169)

Let \(G \leqslant \mathrm{Sym}(\Omega)\) be a finite primitive permutation group with point stabilizer \(H=G_{\alpha}\neq 1\). The group \(G\) is extremely primitive if \(H\) acts primitively on each of its orbits in \(\Omega\setminus \{\alpha\}\). From work of \textit{A. Mann} et al. [Groups Geom. Dyn. 1, No. 4, 623--660 (2007; Zbl 1141.20003)], every finite extremely primitive group is either almost simple or affine. Previous works of the first author with collaborators establish a complete classification for the finite extremely primitive almost simple groups, so the groups considered here have the form \(G= V:H \leqslant \mathrm{AGL}(V)\). In this case, work of Mann et al. [loc. cit.] and the first author and \textit{A. R. Thomas} [Arch. Math. 116, No. 2, 141--152 (2021; Zbl 1498.20004)] give a complete classification, assuming Wall's conjecture for almost simple groups. In this work, the authors do away with the need for Wall's conjecture entirely. That is, they prove that the list in [Mann et al., loc. cit.] is complete, and therefore the full classification of finite extremely primitive groups is complete. They, furthermore, note that the classification for the finite soluble extremely primitive groups in [Mann et al., loc. cit.] has been corrected by the second author and \textit{G. Verret} [Des. Codes Cryptography 91, No. 10, 3227--3240 (2023; Zbl 1523.20006)]. They prove this by first reducing to the case where the socle \(S\) of \(H\) acts irreducibly on \(V\) and one of the following cases holds. \begin{itemize} \item[(I)] \(S\) is an alternating or sporadic simple group. \item[(II)] \(S\) is a simple group of Lie type defined over a field of odd characteristic. \item[(III)] \(S\) is a simple group of Lie type over \(\mathbb{F}_2\) and \(V = L(\lambda)\), where the highest weight \(\lambda\) is \(2\)-restricted. \end{itemize} They approach these three cases with the same broad goals: either prove that \(|\mathcal{M}(H)| \leqslant |H|\) (i.e.\ Wall's bound), where \(\mathcal{M}(H)\) is the set of maximal subgroups of \(H\), or prove that there exists \(v\in V\) such that the stabilizer \(H_v\) is trivial. In the former case, \(G\) is extremely primitive and in the latter case, \(G\) is not. This is not always possible for the case when \(S=\mathrm{Sp}_n(2)\) or \(S=\Omega_n^{\epsilon}(2)\), which makes Case (III) above more challenging.