Halving \(\text{PSL}(2,q)\) (Q1288017)

A set \(S\) of permutations is called uniformly 2-homogeneous if for any unordered pairs \(A=\{a_1,a_2\}\) and \(B=\{b_1,b_2\}\), there is a constant number \(\mu\) of permutations in \(S\) mapping \(A\) to \(B\). It is well known that \(G=\text{PSL}(2,q)\) is 2-homogeneous on the \(q+1\) points of the projective line \(\text{PG}(1,q)\). If a subset \(S\) of \(G\) of cardinality \(\tfrac 12| G|\) is uniformly 2-homogeneous on \(\text{PG}(1,q)\), then \(\mu=q-1\) or \(\mu=\tfrac 12(q-1)\) accordingly as \(q\) is even or odd. In the paper under review it is shown that such an \(S\) exists if and only if \(q\not\equiv 3\pmod 4\). Specific sets \(S\) are constructed for \(q\equiv 1\pmod 4\) and for \(q\) even. The fact that no such \(S\) exists for \(q\equiv 3\pmod 4\) follows from some earlier (joint) work of the first named author [\textit{J. Bierbrauer} and \textit{Tran Van Trung}, Des. Codes Cryptography 1, No. 4, 307-319 (1992; Zbl 0752.05001)].