A characterization of PGL(2,q), q odd (Q5899736)

Inspired by a paper dealing with characterizations of the group PGL(2,q), q odd, in terms of involutions [\textit{G. Faina} and \textit{G. Korchmaros}, Atti Semin. Mat. Fis. Univ. Modena 37, 95-103 (1989; Zbl 0677.20003)], the author's ultimate aim is to prove the following result: Let G be a sharply 3-transitive permutation set on E, \(| E| =n+1\), \(n\neq 1\) odd, containing \(1_ E\). Let J be a subset of G consisting of involutions and let \(\bar J\) be the set of all the hyperbolic involutions of J. Let \(J_{\{x,y\}}=\{j\in J|\) \(j(x)=y\}\) and \(\bar J_{\{x,y\}}=\bar J\cap J_{\{x,y\}}\), for any two distinct elements \(x,y\in E\). Then we have \(n=p^ h\), for an odd prime p, and G is isomorphic to \(PGL(2,p^ h)\) if and only if the following conditions are satisfied: (1) \(\bar JJ\subset G\); there exist distinct elements \(a,b\in E\) and an elliptic involution \(\hat{\j}\in J_{\{a,b\}}\) such that the inclusions \(\hat{\j}J_{\{a,b\}}\subset G\) and \(J_{\{a,b\}}J_ a\subset G\) hold, where \(J_ a\) denotes the stabilizer of a in J. (2) For all distinct \(x,y\in E\), \(J_{\{x,y\}}\) is transitive on \(E\setminus \{x,y\}\). This result is very similar to that of the quoted paper by Faina and Korchmaros but the conditions on J are somewhat weaker.