ABSTRACT: It is proved in this note that a finite group G is isomorphic to the projective special linear group PS L2
(p)
or a affine linear group A? L1
(8) if and only if |G| = p(p
2 ? 1)/(2, p ? 1) and (p
2 ? 1)/(2, p ? 1) ? N(G), where p is a
prime and N(G) = {|x
G
| : x ? G}.