The primitive permutation groups of certain degrees (Q675137)

The author determines all possibilities for a subgroup of index \(3^rl\) (\(r\geq 1\)) with \(l\mid 10\) (that is, \(l=1\), 2, 5, or 10) in a finite simple group. The classification of finite simple groups is used, together with results of Aschbacher, Liebeck, and others on maximal subgroups of the simple groups. Primitive prime divisors (in factors of the form \(q^n-1\)) are used repeatedly in showing that most maximal subgroups do not have index of the specified form. The author then applies this result, together with the O'Nan-Scott theorem, to classify primitive permutation groups of degree \(3^rl\) (\(r\), \(l\) as above). Finally this result is applied to prove a conjecture of \textit{A. Gardiner} and \textit{C. E. Praeger} [J. Algebra 168, No. 3, 798-803 (1994; Zbl 0816.20005)] on transitive groups with ``bounded movement'' (that conjecture motivated the author's choice of \(3^rl\) as the degrees to be classified). This last conjecture was proved independently (in a slightly stronger form) by \textit{A. Mann} and \textit{C. E. Praeger} [J. Algebra 181, No. 3, 903-911 (1996; Zbl 0848.20002)], but their proof did not completely classify the possibilities classified in the present paper.