MVW-extensions of quaternionic classical groups. (Q2249619)

An MVW-involution of a group is defined as an involution \(\varphi\) such that \(\varphi (x)\) and \(x^{-1}\) are similar for every element \(x\) of the group. It is claimed that in the real quaternionic symplectic group \(Sp(p,q)\) and in the real quaternionic orthogonal group \(O^*(2n)\), every element is conjugate to its inverse. The authors interpret this as ``the identity map may be viewed as an MVW-involution.'' Since the identity map is not an involution for non-commutative groups, this interpretation is hard to swallow.