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Author Archives: Peter Cameron
A request
In 1956, Helmut Wielandt proved that a primitive permutation group whose degree is twice a prime p is doubly transitive, unless p has the form 2a2+2a+1, in which case the group has rank 3, and its subdegrees are a(2a+1) and … Continue reading
I’d like to see this solved
Here is a problem that I would really like to see solved. I have spent quite a bit of time on it myself, and have suggested it to a few other people, but it still resists all attacks, though it … Continue reading
Posted in doing mathematics, open problems
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A problelm
Given a finite permutation group G on a set X, the permutation character π of G is the function on G mapping an element g to its number of fixed points in X. This is a character of G, the … Continue reading
Some things get better
Amid the gloom, we went for a short walk in Dura Den, one of the most scenic parts of Fife. At the end of the den is the village of Pitscottie, with the White Chimneys café. To our pleasure and … Continue reading
St Andrews Combinatorics Day
We are having a home-grown combinatorics day in St Andrews next Tuesday, 24 May. Here is the programme. Come along if you are nearby on the day. It will be in Lecture Theatre B in the Mathematical Institute. 11-11:30 Rosemary … Continue reading
Posted in events
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John McKay
I learned only yesterday that John McKay died a month ago. John McKay made the kind of contribution to the subject that most mathematicians can only dream of, in part because of his wide-ranging interests and keen observation. He was … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged ADE affair, Held's group, Janko's third group, McKay conjecture, monstrous moonshine
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Peter Neumann’s 3p paper
In 1955, Helmut Wielandt published a paper proving the following theorem: Let G be a primitive permutation group of degree 2p, where p is a prime greater than 3, which is not doubly transitive. Then p = 2a2+2a+1 for some positive integer … Continue reading
Peter Neumann memorial meeting
On Saturday, I was in Oxford for a memorial meeting for Peter Neumann, organised by Chris Hollings for the British Society for the History of Mathematics (of which Peter was a past president). It was a hybrid meeting, with half … Continue reading
Taylor series
Today, XKCD, with tongue in cheek, is saying that “The Taylor series should have been canceled after the first term”. After a flying visit to London (more about that shortly), I am reminded again that at least the second term … Continue reading
An O’Nan-Scott note
My old friend Leonard Soicher is visiting St Andrews this week, having made a better job of retiring than I did. Today he gently took me to task for using the expression “simple diagonal type” for one of the types … Continue reading
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