Two-arc transitive graphs and twisted wreath products (Q687000)

This paper considers the question of finding all groups acting 2-arc transitively on finite connected graphs. A pair \((G,\Gamma)\) of a graph \(\Gamma\) and a group \(G\) is called a special pair if \(\Gamma\) is connected and admits \(G\) as a 2-arc transitive group of automorphisms, where \(G\) has a minimal normal subgroup that is both non-Abelian and regular on the vertices if \(\Gamma\). The main result is the following theorem: Given a non-Abelian simple group \(T\), a 2-transitive permutation group \(P\) on \(\Omega\) and an admissible map \(F: \Omega\to T\), there exists a special pair with \(T\) and \(P\) on \(\Omega\) as invariants. Conversely, all special pairs arise in this way. A construction for the special pair assigned to \(T\) and \(P\) on \(\Omega\) is given.