Classification of finite quasisimple groups which embed in exceptional algebraic groups

DOI10.1515/JGTH.2001.037MaRDI QIDQ2776798zbMATH OpenOpenAlexFDO

Authors Robert L. jun. Griess, Alex Ryba

Publication date 18 September 2003

Published in Journal of Group Theory (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://doi.org/10.1515/jgth.2001.037

central extensions exceptional algebraic groups projective embeddings projective representations quasisimple groups

Finite simple groups and their classification (20D05) Simple groups: alternating groups and groups of Lie type (20D06) Simple groups: sporadic groups (20D08) Subgroup theorems; subgroup growth (20E07) Extensions, wreath products, and other compositions of groups (20E22) Maximal subgroups (20E28) Simple groups (20E32) Linear algebraic groups over the reals, the complexes, the quaternions (20G20) Discrete subgroups of Lie groups (22E40)

Review text

A \(QE\)-pair \((S,G)\) consists of a finite quasisimple group \(S\) and an exceptional algebraic group \(G\) for which there is an embedding of \(S\) in \(G\). The authors previously [Bull. Am. Math. Soc., New Ser. 36, No. 1, 75-93 (1999; Zbl 0916.22008)] described all \(PE\)-pairs \((F,G)\) for \(F\) a finite simple group and \(G\) an exceptional algebraic group such that there is a projective embedding of \(F\) into \(G\). Pages 7-9 of the paper under review comprise Table QE, which lists all \(QE\)-pairs and supersedes Table PE of the earlier paper. Table PE summarized what was known at the time of its publication about \(PE\)-pairs. Table QE also corrects some errors in Table PE. The authors' goal is to determine in characteristic 0 the precise list of \(QE\)-pairs, not just settle existence of projective embeddings, and also for any \(QE\)-pair \((S,G)\) to determine all embeddings of the group \(S\) up to conjugacy. Section 3 gives a new proof of the completeness of the list of all finite simple groups that have a projective embedding in \(E_8(\mathbb{C})\). Table QE then treats exactly those finite simple groups not eliminated from consideration by the earlier list. Section 4, which constitutes roughly half the paper, refines the initial analysis to get the exact central extensions that can occur. It discusses Table QE row-by-row, using reasoning similar to that of \textit{A. M. Cohen} and the first author [Proc. Symp. Pure Math. 47, 367-405 (1987; Zbl 0654.22005)] and \textit{M. W. Liebeck} and \textit{G. M. Seitz} [J. Reine Angew. Math. 515, 25-72 (1999; Zbl 0980.20034)]. The authors use recent developments to good advantage in streamlining several of those arguments. The determination of the exact central extensions involves considerably more character theory than is necessary to settle projective embeddings. The authors note that while their work determines the collection of \(QE\)-pairs in characteristic 0, the situation in prime characteristic remains much less well understood. A finite simple group \(F\) with no projective embeddings in characteristic 0 may have some in characteristic \(p>0\) if \(p\) divides the order of \(F\). Moreover, techniques to classify embeddings up to conjugacy in characteristic 0 for the most part lack counterparts in prime characteristic. Thus, building a version of Table QE for arbitrary characteristic remains a formidable challenge.

Recommendations

Cites work

Cited in

(7)

This page was built for publication: Classification of finite quasisimple groups which embed in exceptional algebraic groups

Report a bug (only for logged in users!)Click here to report a bug for this page (MaRDI item Q2776798)