Sharply \(2\)-transitive sets of permutations and groups of affine projectivities. (Q1005906)

If \(S\) is a set of permutations of a set \(\Omega\), then \(S\) is called sharply transitive on \(\Omega\) if for every pair \(\alpha,\beta\) from \(\Omega\) there is exactly one \(s\in S\) such that \(\alpha^s=\beta\). The set \(S\) is called sharply \(2\)-transitive on \(\Omega\) if \(S\) is sharply transitive on the set \(\Omega^{(2)}\) of all pairs of distinct elements from \(\Omega\). The main result of this paper is that, if \(G\) is an almost simple subgroup of the symmetric group \(S_n\) and \(G\) contains a sharply \(2\)-transitive subset, then \(G\) is either the alternating group \(A_n\) or the symmetric group \(S_n\) except (possibly) when \(n=23\) or \(24\) and \(G\) is the corresponding Mathieu group. The proof uses the classification of finite simple groups. Whether or not the exceptional cases actually can occur is not determined. This theorem is then applied to show that, if \(\mathcal A\) is a finite affine plane of order \(n\) which is not a translation plane, then the group of all affine projectivities of \(\mathcal A\) is either \(A_n\) or \(S_n\) except (possibly) one of the Mathieu groups when \(n=23\) or \(24\).