Jordan permutation groups and limits of \(D\)-relations (Q2136389)

Let \(X\) be a \(G\)-set for some group \(G\). Let \(X = Y \cup Z\) be a partition with \(Z\) of size larger than \(1\). If the pointwise stabilizer of \(Y\) in \(G\) is transitive on \(Z\), then \(Z\) is called a Jordan set (for \(G\) acting on \(X\)). The Jordan set \(Z\) is improper if, for some positive integer \(k\), the group \(G\) acts \((k+1)\)-transitively on \(X\) and \(|Y| = k\) and is proper otherwise. A Jordan group is a transitive permutation group with a proper Jordan set. The starting point of the paper is the following theorem from [\textit{S. A. Adeleke} and \textit{D. Macpherson}, Proc. Lond. Math. Soc. (3) 72, No. 1, 63--123 (1996; Zbl 0839.20002)]. Let \(G\) be a primitive but not highly transitive Jordan group on an infinite set \(X\). Then \(G\) preserves on \(X\) a structure of one of the following kinds: \begin{itemize} \item[(i)] a Steiner system (possibly with infinite blocks), \item[(ii)] a linear order, circular order, linear betweenness relation, or separation relation, \item[(iii)] a semilinear order, general betweenness relation, C-relation, or D-relation, \item[(iv)] a limit of Steiner systems, general betweenness relations, or D-relations. \end{itemize} The focus of the paper is the examples of type (iv). A structure \(M\) is \(\omega\)-categorical if \(M\) is countably infinite and any countable structure which satisfies the same first-order theory as \(M\) is isomorphic to \(M\). The main theorem of the present paper is the following. There is an \(\omega\)-categorical structure whose automorphism group is a primitive Jordan group which preserves a limit of D-relations but does not preserve a structure of type (i), (ii), or (iii) of the previous theorem. It is said that an infinite Jordan group \((G,X)\) preserves a limit of D-relations if there are a linear ordered set \((J, \leq)\) with no least element, a chain \((Y_{i} : i \in J)\) of subsets of \(X\) and a chain \((H_{i} : i \in J)\) of subgroups of \(G\) with \(Y_{j} \subset Y_{i}\) and \(H_{j} < H_{i}\) whenever \(i < j\) such that the following eight conditions hold: \begin{itemize} \item[(i)] for each \(i\), \(H_i\) is the pointwise stabilizer of \(X \setminus Y_{i}\), and \(H_{i}\) is transitive on \(Y_{i}\) and has a unique non-trivial maximal congruence \(\sigma_{i}\) on \(Y_{i}\); \item[(ii)] for each \(i\), \((H_{i}, Y_{i}/\sigma_{i})\) is a 2-transitive but not 3-transitive Jordan group preserving a D-relation; \item[(iii)] \(\bigcup ( Y_{i} : i \in H) = X\); \item[(iv)] \((\bigcup (H_{i} : i \in J), X)\) is a 2-primitive but not 3-transitive Jordan group; \item[(v)] \(\sigma_{i}\vert Y_{j} \subseteq \sigma_{j}\) if \(i < j\); \item[(vi)] \(\bigcap (\sigma_{i} : i \in J)\) is equality in \(X\); \item[(vii)] \((\forall g \in G) (\exists i_{0} \in J) (\forall i < i_{0}) (\exists j \in J) (Y_{i}^{g} = Y_{j} \land g^{-1} H_{i} g = H_{j})\); \item[(viii)] for any \(x \in X\), the stabilizer of \(x\) in \(G\) preserves a C-relation on \(X \setminus \{ x \}\). \end{itemize}