Almost elusive classical groups (Q2153798)

Let \(G\le\mathrm{Sym}(\Omega)\) be a transitive permutation group on a finite set \(\Omega\) with \(|\Omega| \ge 2\). A classical problem is to study the derangement elements of \(G\), i.e. those that have no fixed points on \(\Omega\). In particular, \textit{C. Jordan} [Liouville J. (2) 17, 351--368 (1872; JFM 04.0055.01)] proved that \(G\) contains such elements and, moreover, in [\textit{B. Fein} et al., J. Reine Angew. Math. 328, 39--57 (1981; Zbl 0457.13004)] the authors showed that derangements of prime power order always exist in \(G\). However, there exist also transitive permutation groups containing no derangements of prime order and such groups are called \textit{elusive} (see [\textit{P. J. Cameron} et al., J. Lond. Math. Soc., II. Ser. 66, No. 2, 325--333 (2002; Zbl 1015.20001)]). A complete classification of elusive groups has not yet been accomplished, although Giudici has exhibited a large class of elusive groups in [\textit{M. Giudici}, J. Lond. Math. Soc., II. Ser. 67, No. 1, 73--84 (2003; Zbl 1050.20002)]. Extending this notion, in [\textit{T. C. Burness} and \textit{E. V. Hall}, J. Algebra 594, 519--543 (2022; Zbl 07459383)] a transitive permutation group \(G\) is called \textit{almost elusive} if it contains a unique conjugacy class of derangements of prime order. In the same paper the authors first prove that every quasiprimitive almost elusive group is either almost simple or 2-transitive of affine type. Then they classify all the almost elusive groups that are almost simple and primitive with socle an alternating group, a sporadic group, or a rank one group of Lie type. To complete the classification of primitive almost elusive groups it remains to handle the almost simple groups of Lie type with twisted Lie rank at least 2 and the affine groups. In the interesting paper under review, the author complete the classification for the almost simple classical groups over \(\mathbb{F}_q\), where \(q = p^f\) with \(p\) prime. In particular, let \(G\) be an almost simple classical group such that its socle \(G_0\) is a finite simple classical group over \(\mathbb{F}_q\), not including duplicates obtained via isomorphisms and \(q = p^f\) for \(p\) prime and \(f \geq 1\). Let \(H\) be a point stabiliser in \(G\), \(H_0 = H \cap G_0\), and let \(\pi(X)\) denote the number of prime divisors of \(|X|\). The author first provides a classification of the pairs \((G_0, H)\) such that \(\pi(G_0) - \pi(H_0)\leq 1\) and then she uses this result for reducing the cases to be handled for completing the classification of the primitive almost elusive almost simple classical groups. For completing the classification of the primitive almost elusive permutation groups it remains to handle the affine groups and the remaining exceptional groups of Lie type.