Coleman automorphisms of finite groups and their minimal normal subgroups

In this paper, we show that all Coleman automorphisms of a finite group with self-central minimal non-trivial characteristic subgroup are inner; therefore the normalizer property holds for these groups. Using our methods we show that the holomorph and wreath product of finite simple groups, among others, have no non-inner Coleman automorphisms. As a further application of our theorems, we provide partial answers to questions raised by M. Hertweck and W. Kimmerle. Furthermore, we characterize the Coleman automorphisms of extensions of a finite nilpotent group by a cyclic p-group. Finally, we note that class-preserving Coleman automorphisms of p-power order of some nilpotent-by-nilpotent groups are inner, extending a result by J. Hai and J. Ge, where p is a prime number.     

The automorphism-order in finite groups

The notion of automorphism-order is introduced as a generalization of elemental order in finite groups. Some theorems involving orders of elements are then generalized. Divisibility properties involving this concept are considered. Necessary and sufficient conditions for an abelian group to be represented by number-theoretic functions involving divisibility properties are given. Explicit formulas of these functions are also given.     

On finite groups with automorphisms whose fixed points are Engel

The main result of the paper is the following theorem. Let q be a prime, n a positive integer, and A an elementary abelian group of order q². Suppose that A acts coprimely on a finite group G and assume that for each \({a \in A^{\#}}\) every element of C_G(a) is n-Engel in G. Then the group G is k-Engel for some \({\{n,q\}}\)-bounded number k.     

Automorphisms of direct products of finite groups

This paper shows that if H and K are finite groups with no common direct factor and G = H × K, then the structure and order of Aut G can be simply expressed in terms of Aut H, Aut K and the central homomorphism groups Hom (H, Z(K)) and Hom (K, Z(H)). Received: 18 April 2005; revised: 9 June 2005     

On commuting automorphisms of groups

This paper examines group automorphisms for which each element commutes with its image. These automorphisms do not necessarily form a subgroup of the automorphism group, but have a number of interesting properties, close to those of central automorphisms. Research of the first named author was supported by Grant SM 177 from Kuwait University Research Administration.     

Coleman automorphisms of finite groups

An automorphism of a finite group G whose restriction to any Sylow subgroup equals the restriction of some inner automorphism of G shall be called Coleman automorphism, named for D. B. Coleman, who's important observation from [2] especially shows that such automorphisms occur naturally in the study of the normalizer of G in the units of the integral group . Let Out be the image of these automorphisms in Out. We prove that Out is always an abelian group (based on previous work of E. C. Dade, who showed that Out is always nilpotent). We prove that if no composition factor of G has order p (a fixed prime), then Out is a -group. If O, it suffices to assume that no chief factor of G has order p. If G is solvable and no chief factor of has order 2, then , where is the center of . This improves an earlier result of S. Jackowski and Z. Marciniak. Received: 26 May 2000; in final form: 5 October 2000 / Published online: 19 October 2001     

On a theorem of Burnside on fixed-point-free automorphisms

We prove that a finite group having a fixed-point-free automorphism in the Fitting subgroup of its automorphism group must be abelian of rather restricted structure. As a consequence, no finite nonabelian group could have a fixed-point-free automorphism in the Frattini subgroup of its automorphism group. Received: 21 April 2007, Revised: 18 May 2007     

Dense orbits of automorphisms and compactness of groups

It is proved, by using topological properties, that when a group automorphism of a locally compact totally disconnected group is ergodic under the Haar measure, the group is compact. The result is an answer for Halmos's question that has remained open for the totally disconnected case.     

On chief factors of finite groups

Let H and K be normal subgroups of a finite group G and let K≤H. If A is a subgroup of G such that AH=AK or A∩H=A∩K, we say that A covers or avoids H/K respectively. The purpose of this paper is to investigate factor groups of a finite group G using this concept. We get some characterizations of a finite group being solvable or supersolvable and generalize some known results.     

On semi cover-avoiding subgroups of finite groups

A subgroup H of a finite group G is said to have the semi cover-avoiding property in G if there is a normal series of G such that H covers or avoids every normal factor of the series. In this paper, some new results are obtained based on the assumption that some subgroups have the semi cover-avoiding property in the group.     

On one-sided stabilizers of subsets of finite groups

It was initiated by the second author to investigate in which groups the left and right stabilizers of subsets have equal order. First we prove that if the left and right stabilizers of sets of prime power size are equal order then the group is supersolvable. We also characterize those 2-groups which satisfy this property for p = 2. We show that if in a finite group, the left and right stabilizers of sets of prime power size have equal order, then the commutator subgroup is abelian. Finally we characterize hamiltonian groups with the help of one-sided stabilizers. Received: 18 April 2005; revised 11 May 2005     

Uniquely factorizable elements and solvability of finite groups

In a finite group G every element can be factorized in such a way that there is one factor for each prime divisor p of | G |, and the order of this factor is p^α for some integer α ≧ 0. We define g ∈G to be uniquely factorizable if it has just one such factorization (whose factors must be pairwise commuting). We consider the existence of uniquely factorizable elements and its relation to the solvability of the group. We prove that G is solvable if and only if the set of all uniquely factorizable elements of G is the Fitting subgroup of G. We also prove various sufficient conditions for the non-existence of uniquely factorizable elements in non-solvable groups. Received: 9 June 2005     

On second maximal subgroups of Sylow subgroups of finite groups

Finite groups in which the second maximal subgroups of the Sylow p-subgroups, p a fixed prime, cover or avoid the chief factors of some of its chief series are completely classified.     

Centralizers of real elements in finite groups

In this paper we give a computational strategy for constructing the centralizer of a real element in a finite group. Received: 14 February 2003     

A solubility criterion for finite groups

It is proved that a finite group is soluble if the normalizer of every cyclic subgroup of prime-power order has a soluble supplement.Received: 31 January 2005     

Finite groups whose conjugacy class graphs have few vertices

In this note we classify the finite groups satisfying the following property P₅: their conjugacy class lengths are set-wise relatively prime for any 5 distinct classes.Received: 6 October 2004; revised: 16 November 2004     

On c-normality of certain subgroups of prime power order of finite groups

In this paper, we study the structure of the finite group G given that certain subgroups of prime power order are well-situated, which means that they are normally complemented modulo their normal core.Received: 14 October 2004; revised: 12 January 2005     

Fixed points of automorphisms of Lie rings and locally finite groups

Let P be a locally finite group of prime exponent p. We prove that if P admits a finite soluble automorphism group G of order n coprime to p, such that the fixed point group C _P(G)is soluble of derived length d, then P is nilpotent of class bounded by a function of p, n, and d. A similar statement is shown to hold for Lie (p - 1)-Engel algebras; it is analogous to the Bergman-Isaacs theorem proved for associative rings, provided the condition of being soluble for an automorphism group is added. Our proof is based on a generalization of Kreknin's theorem concerning the solubility of Lie rings with a regular automorphism of finite order. This generalization, giving an affirmative answer to a question of Winter and extending one of his results to the case of infinitedimensional Lie algebras, is interesting in its own right. Moreover, we use a generalization of Higgins' theorem on the nilpotency of soluble Lie Engel algebras. Translated fromAlgebra i Logika, Vol. 34, No. 6, pp. 706-723, November-December, 1995.Supported by RFFR grant No. 94-01-00048-a and by ISF grant NQ7000.     

Almost fixed-point-free automorphisms of soluble groups

Suppose G is either a soluble (torsion-free)-by-finite group of finite rank or a soluble linear group over a finite extension field of the rational numbers. We consider the implications for G if G has an automorphism of finite order m with only finitely many fixed points. For example, if m is prime then G is a finite extension of a nilpotent group and if m=4 then G is a finite extension of a centre-by-metabelian group. This extends the special cases where G is polycyclic, proved recently by Endimioni (2010); see [3].