Automorphisms of strongly regular graphs

Abstract

In this article we generalize a theorem of Benson for generalized quadrangles to strongly regular graphs and directed strongly regular graphs. The main result provides numerical restrictions on the number of fixed vertices and the number of vertices mapped to adjacent vertices under an automorphism. It is explained how these results can be used when studying partial difference sets in Abelian groups and projective two-weight sets. The underlying ideas are linear algebraic in nature.