Finite vertex-primitive and vertex-biprimitive 2-path-transitive graphs (Q1759329)

An arc in a graph is an oriented edge, a \(2\)-arc is an oriented path of length two, and a \(2\)-path is a non-oriented path of length two. A graph \(\Gamma\) is called \(G\)-arc-transitive (\((G, 2)\)-arc-transitive, \((G, 2)\)-path-transitive, respectively) if \(G\) is a subgroup of the automorphism group of \(\Gamma\) that is transitive on the set of arcs (\(2\)-arcs, \(2\)-paths, respectively) of \(\Gamma\). The study of arc-transitive and \(2\)-arc-transitive graphs have long been an important part of algebraic graph theory since W. T. Tutte's seminal paper published in 1947. In contrast the study of 2-path-transitive graphs has a relatively short history, beginning with a paper by M. Conder and C. E. Praeger in 1996. It is obvious that 2-arc-transitive graphs are 2-path-transitive, but the converse is not true. In this paper the authors first classify all \((G, 2)\)-path-transitive but not \((G, 2)\)-arc-transitive graphs \(\Gamma\) together with the underlying groups \(G\) such that \(G\) is primitive on the vertex set of \(\Gamma\). They also classify all connected \((G, 2)\)-path-transitive but not \((G, 2)\)-arc-transitive graphs \(\Gamma\) together with \(G\) such that \(G\) is biprimitive on the vertex set of \(\Gamma\). (A permutation group \(G\) on \(\Omega\) is called biprimitive if \(\Omega\) has a \(G\)-invariant partition such that the setwise stabiliser of each part is primitive on the corresponding part.) The graphs arisen from both classifications have valency a prime power congruent to 3 modulo 4. Using these classification results the author construct some new half-transitive graphs (that is, graphs that are vertex-transitive, edge-transitive but not arc-transitive).