Groups with a unique non-diagonal self-paired orbital (Q4546113)

Let \(G\) be a permutation group on a finite set \(\Omega\). An orbital of \(G\) is an orbit of the natural action of \(G\) on \(\Omega\times\Omega\). An orbital \(\Delta\) is self-paired whenever \((\alpha,\beta)\in\Delta\) if and only if \((\beta,\alpha)\in\Delta\). The diagonal orbital (\(=\{(\alpha,\alpha)\mid\alpha\in\Gamma\}\) where \(\Gamma\subseteq\Omega\) is an orbit of \(G\)) is obviously self-paired. The property of having a single non-diagonal self-paired orbital can be seen as a generalization of 2-transitivity. The author first remarks that \(G\) has a single non-diagonal self-paired orbital if and only if \(G\) has a single orbit on the 2-cycles occurring within its elements, that is if the second entry of its Parker vector is equal to 1. Let \(G\) be a permutation group having a single non-diagonal self-paired orbital. If \(G\) is intransitive, then \(G\) is the subdirect product of a transitive group with a single non-diagonal self-paired orbital and any number of transitive groups of odd order. If \(G\) is imprimitive and embeds as an imprimitive group into \(H wr K\), then either \(H\) has even order and has a single non-diagonal self-paired orbital, or \(H\) has odd order and \(K\) has a single non-diagonal self-paired orbital. This allows to reduce the classification problem to the primitive case. In the primitive case, the author proves that, if \(G\) is not 2-transitive, then \(G\) must be of affine type or almost simple.