Automorphism groups of edge-transitive maps

Abstract

For each of the 14 classes of edge-transitive maps described by Graver and Watkins, necessary and sufficient conditions are given for a group to be the automorphism group of a map, or of an orientable map without boundary, in that class. Extending earlier results of Siran, Tucker and Watkins, these are used to determine which symmetric groups $S_n$ can arise in this way for each class. Similar results are obtained for all finite simple groups, building on work of Leemans and Liebeck, Nuzhin and others on generating sets for such groups. It is also shown that each edge-transitive class realises finite groups of every sufficiently large nilpotence class or derived length, and also realises uncountably many non-isomorphic infinite groups. Edge-transitive embeddings of complete graphs are classified, and there is a detailed discussion of edge-transitive maps with boundary.