A characterization of alternating groups. II

Let G be a group. A subset X of G is called an A-subset if X consists of elements of order 3, X is invariant in G, and every two non-commuting members of X generate a subgroup isomorphic to A₄ or to A₅. Let X be the A-subset of G. Define a non-oriented graph Γ(X) with vertex set X in which two vertices are adjacent iff they generate a subgroup isomorphic to A₄. Theorem 1 states the following. Let X be a non-empty A-subset of G. (1) Suppose that C is a connected component of Γ(X) and H = 〈C〉. If H ∩ X does not contain a pair of elements generating a subgroup isomorphic to A₅ then H contains a normal elementary Abelian 2-subgroup of index 3 and a subgroup of order 3 which coincides with its centralizer in H. In the opposite case, H is isomorphic to the alternating group A(I) for some (possibly infinite) set I, |I| ≥ 5. (2) The subgroup 〈X^G〉 is a direct product of subgroups 〈C _α〉-generated by some connected components C _α of Γ(X). Theorem 2 asserts the following. Let G be a group and X⊆G be a non-empty G-invariant set of elements of order 5 such that every two non-commuting members of X generate a subgroup isomorphic to A₅. Then 〈XG〉 is a direct product of groups each of which either is isomorphic to A₅ or is cyclic of order 5. Supported by RFBR grant No. 05-01-00797; FP “Universities of Russia,” grant No. UR.04.01.028; RF Ministry of Education Developmental Program for Scientific Potential of the Higher School of Learning, project No. 511; Council for Grants (under RF President) and State Aid of Fundamental Science Schools, project NSh-2069.2003.1. __________ Translated from Algebra i Logika, Vol. 45, No. 2, pp. 203–214, March–April, 2006.