Strong map-symmetry of SL(3,K) and PSL(3,K) for every finite field K

Abstract

In this paper, we show that for any finite field [Formula: see text], any pair of map-generators (that is when one of the generators is an involution) of [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] has a group automorphism that inverts both generators. In the theory of maps, this corresponds to say that any regular oriented map with automorphism group [Formula: see text] or [Formula: see text] is reflexible, or equivalently, there are no chiral regular maps with automorphism group [Formula: see text] or [Formula: see text]. As remarked by Leemans and Liebeck, also [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] are not automorphism groups of chiral regular maps. These two results complete the work of the above authors on simples groups supporting chiral regular maps.