The book provides a characterization of the 2-fusion systems of the groups of Lie type and odd characteristic, a result analogous to the Classical Involution Theorem for groups. The theorem is the most difficult step in a two-part program. The first part of the program aims to determine a large subclass of the class of simple 2-fusion systems, while part two seeks to use the result on fusion systems to simplify the proof of the theorem classifying the finite simple groups.
Michael Aschbacher: California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA