Thomas Zaslavsky

Automorphism Groups of Dowling Lattices

Abstract for the Combinatorics and Number Theory and Algebra Seminars
2001 January 23

A Dowling lattice, Qn(G), of a group G is a thin, graph-theoretic geometrical system which is analogous to a projective geometry over a field in that both are highly symmetrical ``universal'' geometries. Thus the automorphism groups of Dowling lattices are bound to be of some interest. I will discuss and, I hope, expound a paper that shows that the automorphism group of Qn(G) has no semidirect product decomposition except what it inherits from G.