The binary actions of alternating groups (Q6889656)

The relational complexity of a permutation group \(G\) acting on \(\Omega\) is the smallest \(k\ge 2\) such that the orbits of \(G\) on \(\Omega^r\) for all \(r\ge k\) are determined by its orbits on \(\Omega^k\). Actions with relational complexity \(2\) are called binary.\N\NThe paper under review investigates binary actions of \(A_n\), discussing separately the exceptional case \(A_5\) and establishing the main classification for \(n\ge 6\). The authors attach to each conjugacy class \(C\) of elements of prime order a graph \(\Gamma(C)\) whose vertices are the elements of \(C\), with adjacency defined by commutation and the requirement that suitable products remain in \(C\). \N\NCorollary~2.13 links connectivity properties of \(\Gamma(C)\) with constraints on point stabilizers in binary actions.\N\NTheorem~1.2 shows that if \(A_n\) with \(n\ge 6\) acts binary on a set \(\Omega\), then every orbit is trivial or regular. The proof analyzes in detail the components of \(\Gamma(C)\) for involutions and for elements of odd prime order, combining fixity arguments with structural properties of alternating groups.