Published online by Cambridge University Press: 09 April 2009
If R is a 2-group of symplectic type with exponent 4, then R is isomorphic to the extraspecial group  , or to the central product 4 o 21+2n of a cyclic group of order 4 and an extraspecial group, with central subgroups of order 2 amalgamated. This paper gives an explicit description of a projective representation of the group A of automorphisms of R centralizing Z(R), obtained from a faithful representation of R of degree 2n. The 2-cocycle associated with this projective representation takes values which are powers of −1 if R is isomorphic to
, or to the central product 4 o 21+2n of a cyclic group of order 4 and an extraspecial group, with central subgroups of order 2 amalgamated. This paper gives an explicit description of a projective representation of the group A of automorphisms of R centralizing Z(R), obtained from a faithful representation of R of degree 2n. The 2-cocycle associated with this projective representation takes values which are powers of −1 if R is isomorphic to  and powers of
 and powers of  otherwise. This explicit description of a projective representation is useful for computing character values or computing with central extensions of A. Such central extensions arise naturally in Aschbacher's classification of the subgroups of classical groups.
 otherwise. This explicit description of a projective representation is useful for computing character values or computing with central extensions of A. Such central extensions arise naturally in Aschbacher's classification of the subgroups of classical groups.