On graphs admitting arc-transitive actions of almost simple groups (Q1271008)

A finite connected regular graph \(\Gamma\) is said to be \(G\)-locally primitive, \(G\leq \Aut\Gamma\), if for each vertex \(\alpha\) of \(\Gamma\), the stabilizer \(G_\alpha\) acts primitively on the set of neighbors of \(\alpha\). The paper is devoted to the study of non-bipartite finite connected vertex-transitive \(G\)-locally primitive graphs \(\Gamma\) with \(G\) being an almost simple group whose socle \(S\) does not act semiregularly on the vertices of \(\Gamma\) and \(C_{\Aut \Gamma} (S)=1\). The significance of this class of graphs lies in its connection to the theory of arc-transitive quasi-primitive graphs originally introduced by the second of the authors. In the main result of the paper, it is shown that any graph \(\Gamma\) with the above described properties must satisfy one of the following: (a) \(S \trianglelefteq \Aut\Gamma \leq\Aut (S)\); or (b) \(G<Y\leq \Aut\Gamma\), where \(Y\) is almost simple with \(\text{soc} Y\neq S\) and either \(N_Y(G)\) is maximal in \(Y\), or \(\Gamma\) is the complete graph \(K_8\) and \(G=\text{PSL} (2,7)\), \(Y=A_8\) or \(S_8\); or (c) \(\Aut\Gamma\) contains a subgroup \(N\cdot G\), where \(N={\mathcal Z}^d_p\) for some prime \(p\) and \(d>1\), and \(S=S(q)\) is a Lie type simple group over a field of order \(q=p^e\), \(e| d\). Additional restrictions are presented under which case (b) of the main theorem may not occur. For connected \((G,2)\)-arc-transitive graphs with \(\text{Sz} (q)\leq G\leq \Aut (\text{Sz} (q))\) \((q=2^{2n+1} \geq 8)\) or \(G=\text{Ree} (q)\) \((q=3^{2n+1} \geq 27)\) it is shown that \(G\leq\Aut \Gamma \leq \Aut (G)\).