The binary actions of simple groups of Lie type of characteristic \(2\) (Q6975232)

This paper investigates the binary permutation actions of finite simple groups of Lie type over fields of characteristic~\(2\). The concept of relational complexity and in particular the notion of binary actions (relational complexity~\(2\)) originates in model theory, namely \textit{G. Cherlin} [The Gelfand Mathematical Seminars, 1996--1999. Dedicated to the memory of Chih-Han Sah. Boston, MA: Birkhäuser. 15--48 (2000; Zbl 0955.03040)] and the classification of finite primitive binary permutation groups was achieved in recent work by \textit{G. Cherlin} [J. Algebr. Comb. 43, No. 2, 339--374 (2016; Zbl 1378.20001)] and \textit{J. Wiscons} [Bull. Lond. Math. Soc. 48, No. 2, 291--299 (2016; Zbl 1350.20002)].\N\NHere, the authors focus on simple groups of Lie type \(G = G(q)\) with \(q = 2^a\) and study transitive actions of \(G\) on finite sets \(\Omega\) such that the stabiliser \(G_\omega\) has even order. They prove the following: if \(G_\omega\) has even order and \(G\) acts binary on \(\Omega\), then \(G_\omega\) must contain or in certain cases coincide with a specified subgroup closely related to a long or short root subgroup of \(G\), unless \(G\) is of symplectic or unitary type, where an explicit list of exceptional cases is given (Theorem~1).\N\NTo obtain this, the paper develops and applies an analysis of component groups of involutions. Given a conjugacy class \(\mathcal{C}\) of involutions in~\(G\), the authors define the graph \(\Gamma(\mathcal{C})\) whose vertices are the elements of \(\mathcal{C}\), with \(g, h \in \mathcal{C}\) connected by an edge if and only if \(gh \in \mathcal{C}\). For \(t \in \mathcal{C}\), the component group of \(t\) is the subgroup of \(G\) generated by all vertices in \(\Gamma(\mathcal{C})\) that lie in the connected component of the graph that contains \(t\). The authors classify the component groups for all involutions in simple groups of Lie type in characteristic~\(2\) (Theorem 2), using a combination of theoretical arguments and computational methods (notably GAP and SageMath), with efficient algorithms based on the notion of a transport group. These computational methods are explained in Section 3 and may be of independent interest.\N\NThe article complements recent developments on binary actions of simple groups (see the paper by the first two authors [J. Group Theory 28, No.~1, 215--240 (2025; Zbl 1555.20002)]) and contributes to the broader classification program of binary actions of finite simple groups.