Abelian Carter subgroups in finite permutation groups. (Q382264)

Let \(G\) and \(A\) be finite groups with \(A\) acting on \(G\) as a group of automorphisms. When \(C_G(A)=1\), we say that \(A\) acts fixed-point-freely on \(G\), that is, 1 is the only element of \(G\) invariant by every element of \(A\). In many cases, the condition \(C_G(A)=1\) forces the group \(G\) to be soluble. For instance, [in J. Algebra 174, No. 2, 724-727 (1995; Zbl 0835.20036)], \textit{P. Rowley} proved that if \(C_G(A)=1\) and either \(A\) is cyclic or \((|G|,|A|)=1\), then \(G\) is solvable. This result was then generalized by \textit{V. V. Belyaev} and \textit{B. Hartley} [Algebra Logic 35, No. 4, 217-228 (1996); translation from Algebra Logika 35, No. 4, 389-410 (1996; Zbl 0870.20025)], showing that if a nilpotent group acts fixed-point-freely on \(G\), then \(G\) is soluble. In this paper, the authors prove the following theorem: ``If \(G\) is a finite transitive permutation group with a regular Abelian self-normalizing subgroup, then \(G\) is soluble.'' (Theorem 1.1) This result has some relevance in some recent work concerning the structure of the automorphism group of a Cayley graph over an Abelian group, [see [2], \textit{E. Dobson, P. Spiga} and \textit{G. Verret}, ``Cayley graphs on Abelian groups'', preprint \url{arXiv:1306.3747}]. A self-normalizing nilpotent subgroup of a finite group is called a Carter subgroup. In the approach used in [2, loc. cit.], it is necessary to have structural information on finite permutation groups admitting a regular Abelian Carter subgroup.