OFFSET
1,1
COMMENTS
The affine group is the group of invertible affine transformations in F_q such as: x--> ax+b, a > 0.
These groups are Frobenius groups belonging to A178498.
F_q is a field, so q = p^n, p is prime, with q >= 3 here.
The one-dimensional affine group in the finite fields F_q with q >= 3 is isomorphic to the semidirect product F_q x F_q^{*}, where F_q is endowed with the law +, and F_q^{*} is endowed with the law x. - Bernard Schott, Dec 22 2012
LINKS
Bernard Schott and Jean-Louis Tu, QDV8 & H62 : Hommage à Frobenius - Frobenius 8 - Exercice 8.2 (French mathematical forum les-mathematiques.net)
Jean-Pierre Serre, Groupes finis, ENS - 1978/1979.
FORMULA
For the finite field F_q with q = p^n, the order of its affine group is q(q-1) = p^n(p^n-1), p prime, q >= 3.
EXAMPLE
a(1)=6 and this affine group of order 6 in the field F_3 is the dihedral group D_3 isomorphic to permutation group S_3.
a(2)=12 and this affine group of order 12 in the field F_4 is the semidirect product of Z(2) X Z(2) with Z(3).
a(6)=72 because for p=3, n=2 ==> q = p^n = 9 and 72 = q(q-1) = 9*8.
MAPLE
(p, n)-> p^n*(p^n-1)
MATHEMATICA
mx = 20000; t = {}; p = 2; While[cnt = 0; n = 1; While[m = p^n (p^n - 1); m <= mx, AppendTo[t, m]; cnt++; n++]; cnt > 0, p = NextPrime[p]]; Union[Rest[t]] (* T. D. Noe, Dec 19 2012 *)
CROSSREFS
KEYWORD
nonn,easy
AUTHOR
Bernard Schott, Dec 07 2012
STATUS
approved