On a class of wreath products of hypergroups and association schemes. (Q2376293)

The authors consider three conditions for a hypergroup. But this definition is similar to the definition of polygroup [see \textit{S. D. Comer}, J. Algebra 89, 397-405 (1984; Zbl 0543.20059) and \textit{B. Davvaz}, Polygroup theory and related systems. Hackensack: World Scientific (2013; Zbl 1266.20083)]. Relation between schemes and polygroups is studied by \textit{S. D. Comer} [in Acta Univ. Carol., Math. Phys. 24, No. 2, 39-48 (1983; Zbl 0532.20042)]. Comer showed that various important classes of color algebras (for example, double coset algebras) are closed under the direct product operation and a ``wreath product'' operation. Now, in this paper, the authors characterize finite hypergroups (indeed, polygroups) \(S\) satisfying \(|pq|=1\) for any two elements \(p\) and \(q\) in \(S\) with \(p\neq q^*\) in terms of wreath products. The result applies to association schemes of finite valency and provides a corresponding characterization in scheme theory.