On intransitive graph-restrictive permutation groups (Q402936)

Let \(P\) be a finite permutation group of degree \(d\). Then \(P\) is called graph-restrictive if there exists a constant \(c = c(P)\) with the property that if \(G\) is any group of automorphisms of a finite \(d\)-valent graph \(X\) acting transitively on the vertices of \(X\), such that the group \(G_v^{\,X(v)}\) induced by the stabiliser \(G_v\) of any vertex \(v\) of \(X\) on the neighbourhood \(X(v)\) of \(v\) in \(X\) is permutationally isomorphic to \(P\), then \(|G_v| \leq c(P)\). This definition makes graph-restrictive permutation groups play an important role in considering various conjectures about bounds on the orders of vertex-stabilisers in vertex-transitive group actions on graphs. The problem of determining which permutation groups are graph-restrictive was posed by the second author in [Bull. Aust. Math. Soc. 80, No. 3, 498--505 (2009; Zbl 1177.05054)]. In this paper, the authors completely solve the problem for the intransitive case, by proving that an intransitive finite permutation group \(P\) is graph-restrictive if and only if it is semi-regular (that is, if and only if all point-stabilisers in \(P\) are trivial).