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.