Permutation characters and fixed-point-free elements in permutation groups. (Q2497442)

Let \(G\) be a finite transitive permutation group, and \(H\) a subgroup of \(G\). The union of the \(G\)-conjugacy classes of \(H\) is denoted by \(c(H)\). One sees easily that the set of fixed-point-free elements of \(G\) is \(G\setminus c(G_\alpha)\), where \(G_\alpha\) is a point stabiliser of \(G\). The main theorem states that if a group of nilpotency class 2 has two subgroups \(H\) and \(K\) with \(c(H)=c(K)\) then \(H\) and \(K\) are isomorphic. As a corollary, if a group \(G\) of nilpotency class 2 admits two transitive permutation representations with the same set of fixed-point-free elements, then the permutation characters of the two representations are equal. The author displays several counterexamples for groups of nilpotency class 3. In the last section, the author studies the equation \(c(H)=c(K)\) in more generality; in particular for soluble groups and maximal subgroups. A conjecture is made that for maximal subgroups \(H\) and \(K\) of a finite group, if \(c(H)=c(K)\), then the characters \(1_H^G\) and \(1_K^G\) are comparable, i.e., they are equal or their difference is a character. The author divides the proof in different cases using the O'Nan Scott theorem and proves all cases but the almost simple one.