Finite permutation groups with quasi-semiregular elements

A quasi-semiregular element in a permutation group is an element that has a unique fixed point and acts semiregularly on the remaining points. Such elements were first studied in the context of automorphisms of graphs and occur naturally in many families of permutation groups, such as Frobenius and Zassenhaus groups. They also arise in the context of groups with a strongly p -embedded subgroup and groups containing picky elements. We investigate the question of which finite permutation groups contain quasi-semiregular elements, with particular attention to the primitive permutation groups. We determine the O'Nan-Scott types of primitive groups that can contain quasi-semiregular elements and reduce the question to the affine and almost simple cases. In the almost simple case, we obtain a complete classification when the socle is alternating or sporadic.