A census of highly symmetric combinatorial designs

As a consequence of the classification of the finite simple groups, it has been possible in recent years to characterize Steiner t-designs, that is t-(v,k,1) designs, mainly for t=2, admitting groups of automorphisms with sufficiently strong symmetry properties. However, despite the finite simple group classification, for Steiner t-designs with t>2 most of these characterizations have remained long-standing challenging problems. Especially, the determination of all flag-transitive Steiner t-designs with 3≤t≤6 is of particular interest and has been open for about 40 years (cf. Delandtsheer (Geom. Dedicata 41, p. 147, 1992 and Handbook of Incidence Geometry, Elsevier Science, Amsterdam, 1995, p. 273), but presumably dating back to 1965). The present paper continues the author’s work (see Huber (J. Comb. Theory Ser. A 94, 180–190, 2001; Adv. Geom. 5, 195–221, 2005; J. Algebr. Comb., 2007, to appear)) of classifying all flag-transitive Steiner 3-designs and 4-designs. We give a complete classification of all flag-transitive Steiner 5-designs and prove furthermore that there are no non-trivial flag-transitive Steiner 6-designs. Both results rely on the classification of the finite 3-homogeneous permutation groups. Moreover, we survey some of the most general results on highly symmetric Steiner t-designs.      

On solvable minimally transitive permutation groups

We investigate properties of finite transitive permutation groups in which all proper subgroups of G act intransitively on . In particular, we are interested in reduction theorems for minimally transitive representations of solvable groups. Work partially supported by M.I.U.R. and London Mathematical Society.     

Symmetric designs and four dimensional projective special unitary groups

In this article, we study symmetric $(v,k,\lambda )$ designs admitting a flag-transitive and point-primitive automorphism group $G$ whose socle is ${\mathrm{PSU}}_4\left(q\right)$. We prove that there exist eight non-isomorphic such designs for which $\lambda \in \{3,6,18\}$ and $G$ is either ${\mathrm{PSU}}_4\left(2\right)$, or ${\mathrm{PSU}}_4\left(2\right):2$.     

Locally s‐distance transitive graphs

We give a unified approach to analyzing, for each positive integer s, a class of finite connected graphs that contains all the distance transitive graphs as well as the locally s‐arc transitive graphs of diameter at least s. A graph is in the class if it is connected and if, for each vertex v, the subgroup of automorphisms fixing v acts transitively on the set of vertices at distance i from v, for each i from 1 to s. We prove that this class is closed under forming normal quotients. Several graphs in the class are designated as degenerate, and a nondegenerate graph in the class is called basic if all its nontrivial normal quotients are degenerate. We prove that, for s≥2, a nondegenerate, nonbasic graph in the class is either a complete multipartite graph or a normal cover of a basic graph. We prove further that, apart from the complete bipartite graphs, each basic graph admits a faithful quasiprimitive action on each of its (1 or 2) vertex‐orbits or a biquasiprimitive action. These results invite detailed additional analysis of the basic graphs using the theory of quasiprimitive permutation groups. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Graph Theory 69:176‐197, 2012     

The locally 2-arc transitive graphs admitting an almost simple group of Suzuki type

In this paper, seven families of vertex-intransitive locally (G,2)-arc transitive graphs are constructed, where Sz(q)?G?Aut(Sz(q)), q=²2k+1 for some k∈N. It is then shown that for any graph Γ in one of these families, Sz(q)?Aut(Γ)?Aut(Sz(q)) and that the only locally 2-arc transitive graphs admitting an almost simple group of Suzuki type whose vertices all have valency at least three are (i) graphs in these seven families, (ii) (vertex transitive) 2-arc transitive graphs admitting an almost simple group of Suzuki type, or (iii) double covers of the graphs in (ii). Since the graphs in (ii) have been classified by Fang and Praeger (1999) [6], this completes the classification of locally 2-arc transitive graphs admitting a Suzuki simple group     

马休群与斯坦诺5设计

讨论了马体群旗传递作用于斯坦诺5设计上的情况，得到了如下结论：设D=（X，Ω，I）是非平凡的斯坦诺5设计，D的自同构群G旗传递地作用在D上。若G是几乎单群，则 （i）基柱Soc（G）不是下列单群：N=Mv，v=11，22，23和N=M11,v=12 （ii）若N=M12，v=12，则D是一个5-（12，6，1）设计，且G M12 （iii）若N=M24，v=24，则D是一个5-（24，8，1）设计，且G M24。     

A new class of transitive graphs

Let n and k be integers with n≥k≥0. This paper presents a new class of graphs H(n,k), which contains hypercubes and some well-known graphs, such as Johnson graphs, Kneser graphs and Petersen graph, as its subgraphs. The authors present some results of algebraic and topological properties of H(n,k). For example, H(n,k) is a Cayley graph, the automorphism group of H(n,k) contains a subgroup of order 2ⁿn! and H(n,k) has a maximal connectivity and is hamiltonian if k is odd; it consists of two isomorphic connected components if k is even. Moreover, the diameter of H(n,k) is determined if k is odd.     

On transitive one-factorizations of arc-transitive graphs

It is shown that transitive 1-factorizations of arc-transitive graphs exist if and only if certain factorizations of their automorphism groups exist. This relation provides a method for constructing and characterizing transitive 1-factorizations for certain classes of arc-transitive graphs. Then a characterization is given of 2-arc-transitive graphs which have transitive 1-factorizations. In this characterization, some 2-arc transitive graphs and their transitive 1-factorizations are constructed.     

On transitive Cayley graphs of strong semilattices of right (left) groups

We investigate Cayley graphs of strong semilattices of right (left) groups, of right (left) zero semigroups, and of groups. We show under which conditions they enjoy the property of automorphism vertex transitivity in analogy to Cayley graphs of groups.     

A classification of tightly attached half-arc-transitive graphs of valency 4

A graph is said to be half-arc-transitive if its automorphism group acts transitively on the set of its vertices and edges but not on the set of its arcs. With each half-arc-transitive graph of valency 4 a collection of the so-called alternating cycles is associated, all of which have the same even length. Half of this length is called the radius of the graph in question. Moreover, any two adjacent alternating cycles have the same number of common vertices. If this number, the so-called attachment number, coincides with the radius, we say that the graph is tightly attached. In [D. Marušič, Half-transitive group actions on finite graphs of valency 4, J. Combin. Theory Ser. B 73 (1998) 41–76], Marušič gave a classification of tightly attached half-arc-transitive graphs of valency 4 with odd radius. In this paper the even radius tightly attached graphs of valency 4 are classified, thus completing the classification of all tightly attached half-arc-transitive graphs of valency 4.     

Spanning cubic graph designs

Graph designs are natural extensions of BIBDs (balanced incomplete block designs). In this paper we explore spanning cubic graph designs and develop tools for constructing some of them. We show that K₁₆ can be decomposed into each of the 4060 connected cubic graphs of order 16, and into precisely 144 of the 147 disconnected cubic graphs of order 16. We also identify some infinite families of cubic graphs of order 6n+4 that decompose K_6n+4.     

The maximum spectral radius of -free graphs of given order and size

Suppose that G is a graph with n vertices and m edges, and let μ be the spectral radius of its adjacency matrix.Recently we showed that if G has no 4-cycle, then μ²-μn-1, with equality if and only if G is the friendship graph.Here we prove that if m9 and G has no 4-cycle, then μ²m, with equality if G is a star. For 4m8 this assertion fails.     

Projective two-weight codes with small parameters and their corresponding graphs

Projective two-weight codes with relatively small parameters are enumerated up to equivalence. Some properties of codes and related strongly-regular graphs are presented. I. Bouyukliev was partially supported by the Bulgarian National Science Fund under Contract MM1304/2003. J.Winne thanks the Fund for Scientific Research—Flanders (Belgium) for a Research grant.