Chains of subgroups in groups of Lie type. I (Q750607)

The main result in this paper is a formula for the maximal length of a chain of subgroups in a finite simple group of Lie type in characteristic 2. There is a corresponding result for symmetric groups due to \textit{P. J. Cameron} and the authors [J. Algebra 127, 340-352 (1989; Zbl 0683.20004)]. It turns out that the longest chains are obtained by going through a Borel subgroup, except in the case of \(U_{2r+1}(2)\) where the isomorphism \(U_ 3(2)\cong 3^ 2:Q_ 8\) allows chains one step longer. The method therefore is to use \textit{M. Liebeck} and \textit{J. Saxl's} bounds on the orders of maximal subgroups [Proc. Lond. Math. Soc., III. Ser. 55, 299-330 (1987; Zbl 0627.20026)] to list all maximal subgroups bigger than the Sylow 2-subgroup, and then proceed case-by-case to eliminate chains through each of them. Thus the work relies implicitly on the classification theorem for finite simple groups. \{Part II, by the authors and \textit{G. M. Seitz}, appears in [J. Lond. Math. Soc., II. Ser. 42, 93-100 (1990)].\}