Regular maps with primitive automorphism groups

Abstract: We classify the regular maps $\mathcal M$ which have automorphism groups $G$ acting faithfully and primitively on their vertices. As a permutation group $G$ must be of almost simple or affine type, with dihedral point stabilisers. We show that all such almost simple groups, namely all but a few groups ${\rm PSL}_2(q)$, ${\rm PGL}_2(q)$ and ${\rm Sz}(q)$, arise from regular maps, which are always non-orientable. In the affine case, the maps $\mathcal M$ occur in orientable and non-orientable Petrie dual pairs. We give the number of maps associated with each group, together with their genus and extended type. Some of this builds on earlier work of the first author on generalised Paley maps, and on recent work of Jajcay, Li, \vSir\'a\vn and Wang on maps with quasiprimitive automorphism groups. There are tables of data for the maps in appendices to this paper.