Simplicity of the automorphism groups of some Hrushovski constructions

Abstract

We show that the automorphism groups of certain countable structures obtained using the Hrushovski amalgamation method are simple groups. The structures we consider are the 'uncollapsed' structures of infinite Morley rank obtained by the ab initio construction and the (unstable) omega-categorical pseudoplanes. The simplicity of the automorphism groups of these follows from results which generalize work of Lascar and of Tent and Ziegler.