Simple groups, product actions, and generalised quadrangles

Abstract: The classification of flag-transitive generalised quadrangles is a long-standing open problem at the interface of finite geometry and permutation group theory. Given that all known flag-transitive generalised quadrangles are also point-primitive (up to point-line duality), it is likewise natural to seek a classification of the point-primitive examples. Working towards this aim, we are led to investigate generalised quadrangles that admit a collineation group $G$ preserving a Cartesian product decomposition of the set of points. It is shown that, under a generic assumption on $G$, the number of factors of such a Cartesian product can be at most four. This result is then used to treat various types of primitive and quasiprimitive point actions. In particular, it is shown that $G$ cannot have holomorph compound O'Nan-Scott type. Our arguments also pose purely group-theoretic questions about conjugacy classes in non-Abelian finite simple groups, and about fixities of primitive permutation groups.