In this project, we demonstrate our discovery of original symmetric presentations and constructions of important groups, including nonabelian simple groups, and groups that have these as factor groups. The target nonabelian simple groups include alternating, linear, and sporadic groups. We give isomorphism types for each finite homomorphic image that has been found. We present original symmetric presentations of $M_{12}$, $M_{21}:(2 \times 2)$, $L_{3}(4):2^2$, $2:^{\cdot}L_{3}(4):2$, $S(4,3)$, and $S_{7}$ as homomorphism images of the progenitors $2^{*20}$ $:$ $A_{5}$, $2^{*10}$ $:$ $PGL(2,9)$, $2^{*10}$ $:$ $Aut(A_{6})$, $2^{*10}$ $:$ $A_{6}$, $2^{*10}$ $:$ $A_{5}$, and $2^{*24}$ $:$ $S_{5}$, respectively. We also construct $M_{12}$, $M_{21}:(2 \times 2)$, $L_{3}(4):2^2$, $L_{3}(4):2^2$, $2:^{\cdot}L_{3}(4):2$, $S(4,3)$, and $S_{7}$ over $A_{5}$, $PGL(2,9)$, $Aut(A_{6})$, $A_{6}$, $A_{5}$, and $S_{5}$, respectively, using our technique of double coset enumeration. All of the symmetric presentations given are original to the best of our knowledge.

In this thesis we have investigated permutation and monomial progenitors of the form p^*n:N (p=2,3,5,...) and p^*n:_m N (p=3,5,7,...) respectively. We have discovered new symmetric presentations of several finite nonabelian simple groups including linear groups, unitary groups, orthogonal groups, and sporadic groups. We have constructed interesting groups found using the technique of double coset enumeration and found the isomorphic types of the numerous groups that appeared as homorphic images. These include the sympletic group, S_4(5) and the Janko groups, J_2 and J_1 which were found using a variety of different control groups over finite fields.

We will explore progenitors extensively throughout this project. The progenitor, developed by Robert T Curtis, is a special type of infinite group formed by a semi-direct product of a free group m*n and a transitive permutation group of degree n. Since progenitors are infinite, we add necessary relations to produce finite homomorphic images. Curtis found that any non-abelian simple group is a homomorphic image of a progenitor of the form 2*n: N. In particular, we will investigate progenitors that generate two of the Mathieu sporadic groups, M11 and M11, as well as some classical groups. We will prove their existences a variety of different ways, including the process of double coset enumeration, Iwasawa's Lemma, and linear fractional mappings. We will also investigate the various techniques of finding finite images and their corresponding isomorphism types.

The main objective of this project is to find the original symmetric presentations of some very important finite groups and to give our constructions of some of these groups. We have found the Mathieu sporadic group M11, HS × D5, where HS is the sporadic group Higman-Sim group, the projective special unitary group U(3; 5) and the projective special linear group L2(149) as homomorphic images of the monomial progenitors 11*4 :m (5 :4), 5*6 :m S5 and 149*2 :m D37. We have also discovered 24 : S3 × C2, 24 : A5, (25 : S4), 25 : S3 × S3, 33 : S4 × C2, S6, 29: PGL(2,7), 22 • (S6 : S6), PGL(2,19), ((A5 : A5 × A5) : D6), 6 • (U4(3): 2), 2 • PGL(2,13), S7, PGL (2,8), PSL(2,19), 2 × PGL(2,81), 25 : (S6 × A5), 26 : S4 × D3, U(4,3), 34 : S4, 32 :D6, 2 • (PGL(2,7) :PSL(2,7), 22 : (S5 : S5) and 23 : (PSL3(4) : 2) as homomorphic images of the permutation progenitors 2*8 : (2 × 4 : 2), 2*16: (2 × 4 :C2 × C2), 2*9: (S3 × S3), 2*9: (S3 × A3), 2*9: (32 × 23) and 2*9: (33 × A3). We have also constructed 24: S3 × C2, 24 : A5, (25: S4), 25 : S3 × S3,: 33: S4 × C2, S6, M11 and U (3,5) by using the technique of double coset enumeration. We have determined the isomorphism types of the most of the images mentioned in this thesis. We demonstrate our work for the following examples: 34 : (32 * 23) × 2, 29 : PGL(2,7), 2•S6, (54 : (D4 × S3)), and 3: •PSL(2,19) ×2.

The aim of this thesis is to generate original symmetric presentations for finite non-abelian simple groups. We will discuss many permutation progenitors, including but not limited to 2*14 : D28, 2∗9 : 3•(32), 3∗9 : 3•(32), 2∗21 : (7X3) : 2 as well as monomial progenitors, including 7∗5 :m A5, 3∗5 :m S5. We have included their homomorphic images which include the Mathieu group M12, 2•J2, 2XS(4, 5), as well as, many PGL′s, PSL′s and alternating groups. We will give proofs of the isomorphism types of each progenitor, either by hand using double coset enumeration or computer based using MAGMA. We have also constructed Cayley graphs of the following groups, 25 : S5 over 2∗5 : S5, PSL(2, 8) over 2∗7 : D14, M12 over a maximal subgroup, 2XS5. We have developed a lemma using relations to factor permutation progenitors of the form m∗n : N to give an isomorphism of mn : N . Motivated by Robert T. Curtis’ research, we will present a program using MAGMA that, when given a target finite non-abelian simple group, the program will generate possible control groups to write progenitors that will give the given finite non-abelian simple group. Iwasawa’s lemma is also discussed and used to prove PSL(2, 8) and M12 to be simple groups.

The goal of this thesis is to show constructions of some of the sporadic groups such as the Mathieu group, M12, J1, Projective Special Linear groups, PSL(2,8), and PSL(2,11), Unitary group U(3,3) and many other non-abelian simple groups. Our purpose is to find all simple non-abelian groups as homomorphic images of permutation or monomial progenitors, as well grasping a deep understanding of group theory and extension theory to determine groups up to isomorphisms. The progenitor, developed by Robert T. Curtis, is a semi-direct product of the following form: P≅2*n: N = {πw | π ∈ N, w a reduced word in the ti} where 2*n denotes a free product of n copies of the cyclic group of order 2 generated by involutions ti for 1 ≤ i≤ n; and N is a transitive permutation group of degree n which acts on the free product by permuting the involuntary generators by conjugation. Thus we develop methods for factoring by a suitable any number of relations in the hope of finding all non-abelian simple groups, and in particular one of the 26 Sporadic simple groups. Then the algorithm for double coset enumeration together with the first isomorphic theorem aids us in proving the homomorphic image of the group we have constructed. After being presented with a group G, we then compute the composition series to solve extension problems. Given a composition such as G = G0 ≥ G1 ≥ ….. ≥ Gn-1 ≥ Gn = 1 and the corresponding factor groups G0/G1 = Q1,…,Gn-2/Gn-1 = Qn-1,Gn-1/Gn = Qn. We note that G1 = 1, implying Gn-1 = Qn. As we move through the next composition factor we see that Gn-2/Qn = Qn-1, so that Gn-2 is an extension of Qn-1 by Qn. Following this procedure we can recapture G from the products of Qi and thus solve the extension problem. The Jordan-Holder theorem then allows us to develop a process to analyze all finite groups if we knew all finite simple groups and could solve their extension problem, hence arriving at the isomorphism type of the group. We will present how we solve extensions problems while our main focus will lie on extensions that will include the following: semi-direct products, direct products, central extensions and mixed extensions.Lastly, we will discuss Iwasawa's Lemma and how double coset enumeration aids us in showing the simplicity of some of our groups.

We have investigated several monomial and permutation progenitors, including 2*8 : [8 : 2], 2*18 : [(22 x 3) : (3x2)], 2*16 : [22 : 4], and 2*16 : 24, 5*2 :m [4•22], 5*2 :m [(4x2) :• 2], 103∗2 :m [17 : 2] and 103∗4 :m [17 : 4]. We have discovered original, to the best of our knowledge, symmetric presentations of a number of finite groups, including PSL(2, 7), M12 , A6 : 2, A7 , PSL(2, 25), 25 :• S4, 24 : S3, PSL(2, 271), 12 x PSL(2, 13), and U(3, 7) : 2. We will present our construction of several of these images, including the Mathieu sporadic simple group M12 over the maximal subgroup PSL(2, 11), PSL(2, 17) over D9, PSL(2, 16) : 2 over [24 : 5] and PGL(2, 7) over S3. We will also give our method of finding isomorphism classes of images.

The goal of this presentation is to find original symmetric presentations of finite groups. It is frequently the case, that progenitors factored by appropriate relations produce simple and even sporadic groups as homomorphic images. We have discovered two of the twenty-six sporadic simple groups namely, M12, J1 and the Lie type group Suz(8). In addition several linear and classical groups will also be presented. We will present several progenitors including: 2*12: 22 x (3 : 2), 2*11: PSL2(11), 2*5: (5 : 4) which have produced the homomorphic images: M12 : 2, Suz(8) x 2, and J1 x 2. We will give monomial progenitors whose homomorphic images are: 17*10 :m PGL2(9), 3*4:m Z2 ≀D4 , and 13*2:m (22 x 3) : 2 which produce the homomorphic images:132 : ((2 x 13) : (2 x 3)), 2 x S9, and (22)•PGL4(3). Once we have a presentation of a group we can verify the group's existence through double coset enumeration. We will give proofs of isomorphism types of the presented images: S3 x PGL2(7) x S5, 28:A5, and 2•U4(2):2.

We have conducted a systematic search for finite homomorphic images of several permutation and monomial progenitors. We have found original symmetric presentations for several important groups such as the Mathieu sporadic simple groups, Suzuki simple group, unitary group, Janko group, simplectic groups, and projective special linear groups. We have also constructed, using the technique of double coset enumeration, the following groups, L_2(11), S(4,3):2, M11, and PGL(2,11). The isomorphism class of each of the finite images is also given.

It is known that a Cayley digraph of an abelian group A is isomorphic to a nontrivial wreath product if and only if there is a proper nontrivial subgroup B of A such that the connection set without B is a union of cosets of B in A. We generalize this result to Cayley digraphs of nonabelian groups G by showing that such a digraph is isomorphic to a nontrivial wreath product if and only if there is a proper nontrivial subgroup H of G such that S without H is a union of double cosets of H in G. This result is proven in the more general situation of a double coset digraph (also known as a Sabidussi coset digraph.) We then give applications of this result which include obtaining a graph theoretic definition of double coset digraphs, and determining the relationship between a double coset digraph and its corresponding Cayley digraph. We further expand the result obtained for double coset digraphs to a collection of bipartite graphs called bi-coset graphs and the bipartite equivalent to Cayley graphs called Haar graphs. Instead of considering when this collection of graphs is a wreath product, we consider the more general graph product known as an X-join by showing that a connected bi-coset graph of a group G with respect to some subgroups L and R of G is isomorphic to an X-join of a collection of empty graphs if and only if the connection set is a union of double cosets of some subgroups N containing L and M containing R in G. The automorphism group of such -joins is also found. We also prove that disconnected bi-coset graphs are always isomorphic to a wreath product of an empty graph with a bi-coset graph.