Irreducible character degrees and normal subgroups (Q1379077)

Let \(G\) be a finite group and \(\text{cd}(G)\) the set of degrees of the irreducible characters of \(G\). Let, in the sequel, \(N\trianglelefteq G\) always. Write \(\text{cd}(G|N)=\{\chi(1)\mid\chi\in\text{Irr}(G)-\text{Irr}(G/N)\}\). If \(G\) is solvable then \(\text{dl}(G)\) is the derived length of \(G\). Below we formulate some results of this remarkable paper. Theorem A. Let \(N\) be solvable, and write \(n=|\text{cd}(G|N)|\). Then \(\text{dl}(N)\leq f(n)\) for some quadratic function \(f\). Furthermore, if, in addition, \(G\) is solvable, then a linear upper bound exists. Theorems B and C. (i) If \(|\text{cd}(G|N)|\leq 2\), then \(N\) is solvable and \(\text{dl}(N)\leq|\text{cd}(G|N)|\). (ii) If \(G\) is \(p\)-solvable for all prime divisors of \(|N|\) and \(|\text{cd}(G|N)|\leq 3\), then \(\text{dl}(N)\leq 3\). Part (i) solves affirmatively a question from [\textit{Y. Berkovich}, Proc. Am. Math. Soc. 125, No. 3, 669-677 (1997; Zbl 0861.20010); see the last paragraph]. In particular, if in part (ii), \(N= G'\) then \(\text{dl}(G)\leq 4\), an unpublished result of \textit{S. Garrions}' Ph.D. thesis (Univ. Wisconsin, Madison, 1973). The authors conjecture (a) (ii) is true if the hypothesis that \(G\) is \(p\)-solvable for all \(p\in\pi(|N|)\) were replaced by the weaker assumption that \(N\) is solvable, and (b) if \(N\) is solvable, then \(\text{dl}(N)\leq|\text{cd}(G|N)|\) always. The proof of part (i) depends on the classification of finite simple groups. Theorem D. Suppose that every member of \(\text{cd}(G|N')\) is divisible by some fixed prime \(p\). Then \(N\) is solvable and \(p\)-nilpotent. To prove Theorem D, the authors make use of the following consequence of the classification of finite simple groups: In particular, if \(p\mid\chi(1)\) for all \(\chi\in\text{Irr}(G|N)\), then \(N\) is solvable and \(p\)-nilpotent [see \textit{Y. G. Berkovich}, Proc. Am. Math. Soc. 106, No. 1, 33-35 (1989; Zbl 0685.20006) and \textit{Y. Berkovich}, J. Algebra 171, No. 2, 426-443 (1995; Zbl 0829.20011), Proposition 9 and the remark following it]. Lemma 2.2. Suppose \(A\) acts on \(G\) via automorphisms (i.e., that action is faithful) and \((|A|,|G|)=1\). If \(C_G(A)=\{1\}\), then \(G\) is solvable. The following theorem is useful in inductive arguments. Theorem 3.1. Suppose that \(N\) has an Abelian normal \(p\)-complement for some prime \(p\). If \(\chi\in\text{Irr}(G|N)\) is chosen so that \(\chi(1)_p\) is as small as possible, then \(N'\leq\ker(\chi)\). In particular, if \(N>\{1\}\), then \(|\text{cd}(G|N')|<|\text{cd}(G|N)|\). As an easy consequence, one proves the following nice result: if \(N\) is nilpotent, then \(\text{dl}(N)\leq|\text{cd}(G|N)|\) (Corollary 3.3). Corollary 4.3. Let \(F=F(G)\) be the Fitting subgroup of \(N\), where \(N\) is a nontrivial normal solvable subgroup of \(G\), and let \(m\) be the maximal element of \(\text{cd}(G|N)\). Then \(m\not\in\text{cd}(G/F|N/F)\). Corollary 4.4 and Theorem 4.5. If \(N\) is a proper normal solvable subgroup of \(G\), and write \(n=|\text{cd}(G|N)|\). Then the nilpotent length of \(N\) does not exceed \(n\) and \(\text{dl}(N)\leq n(n+1)/2\). If, in addition, \(G\) is solvable then \(\text{dl}(N)\leq 3n\). Lemma 5.1. Suppose that \(a\) is the minimal number in \(\text{cd}(G|N)\) and \(H\leq G\). If \(|G:H|\leq a\), then \(N\leq H\). If \(|G:H|<a\), then \(N\leq H'\). Lemma 5.2. Let \(\alpha\in\text{Irr}(N)\), \(N\neq G\). Suppose that \(\alpha\) is \(G\)-invariant and let \(p\) be a prime that does not divide \(o(\alpha)\alpha(1)\). Then there exists \(\gamma\in\alpha^G\) such that \(p\nmid\gamma(1)\). Corollary 6.3. Let \(N\) be a proper (normal) subgroup of a solvable group \(G\), and let \(a\) be the minimal element of \(\text{cd}(G|N)\). Assume that at least one of the numbers \(a\), \(|N|\) is odd. Then \(a\not\in\text{cd}(G|M)\), where \(M\) is the final term in the lower central series for \(N\). Note that the paper is reasonably self-contained modulo \textit{I. M. Isaacs}' textbook on characters (1976; Zbl 0337.20005) (moreover, it supplements considerably Chapter 12 of that book).