Almost simple subgroups of the space Cremona group

Abstract

We prove that every finite almost simple subgroup that is not simple of the group of birational automorphisms of the three-dimensional complex projective space is isomorphic to one of the following: $\mathfrak{S}_5$, $\mathfrak{S}_6$, $\mathrm{PGL}_2(\mathbb{F}_7)$ or $\mathrm{PGL}_2(\mathbb{F}_9)$. We also prove that the group of birational automorphisms of the three-dimensional complex projective space contains unique (up to conjugation) subgroups isomorphic to $\mathrm{PGL}_2(\mathbb{F}_7)$ and $\mathrm{PGL}_2(\mathbb{F}_9)$.