A moonshine path from $E_8$ to the monster

Abstract

One would like an explanation of the provocative McKay and Glauberman-Norton observations connecting the extended $E_8$-diagram with pairs of 2A involutions in the Monster sporadic simple group. We propose a down-to-earth model for the 3C-case which exhibits a logic to these connections.

this manuscript is the same as the 11 October 2009 arxiv version except for a change of title