Problems related to the Lockett conjecture on Fitting classes of finite groups. (Q2270507)

For each Fitting class \(\mathcal F\) of finite groups, \textit{F. P. Lockett} [Math. Z. 137, 131-136 (1974; Zbl 0286.20017)] defined \(\mathcal F^*\) to be the smallest Fitting class containing \(\mathcal F\) such that the \(\mathcal F^*\)-radical of the direct product \(G\times H\) of any two groups \(G\) and \(H\) is equal to the direct product of the \(\mathcal F^*\)-radical of \(G\) and the \(\mathcal F^*\)-radical of \(H\), had \(\mathcal F_*\) defined as the intersection of all Fitting classes \(X\) such that \(\mathcal X^*=\mathcal F^*\), and then demanded a condition under which, given a Fitting class \(\mathcal F\) of soluble groups, there exists a normal Fitting class \(\mathcal X\) such that \(\mathcal F=\mathcal F^*\cap\mathcal X\). Fitting classes \(\mathcal F\) that satisfy \(\mathcal F=\mathcal F^*\) have since been known as Lockett classes. \textit{R. A. Bryce} and \textit{J. Cossey} [Math. Z. 141, 99-110 (1975; Zbl 0283.20016)] established that a Fitting class \(\mathcal F\) of soluble groups satisfies Lockett's condition if and only if \(\mathcal F_*=\mathcal F^*\cap\mathcal S_*\), where \(\mathcal S\) is the class of all finite soluble groups. On the other hand, \textit{T. R. Berger} and \textit{J. Cossey} [Math. Z. 154, 287-293 (1977; Zbl 0336.20012)] provided an example of a Lockett class of soluble groups for which Lockett's condition does not hold. Local Fitting classes of soluble groups, however, do satisfy Lockett's condition, as shown by \textit{N. T. Vorob'ev} [Math. Notes 43, No. 2, 91-94 (1988); translation from Mat. Zametki 43, No. 2, 161-168 (1988; Zbl 0681.20010)]. That raised the question whether there exists a soluble non-normal non-Lockett Fitting class which satisfies Lockett's condition. The present paper answers the question in the affirmative (Theorem A). One example of such a Fitting class is \((\mathcal S_\pi)_*\mathcal S_{\pi'}\), where \(\pi\) is a set of at least two primes (Corollary 2.6). The second part of the paper addresses Lockett's condition for the more general case of Fitting classes of finite, not necessarily soluble, groups. In this case, a Fitting class \(\mathcal F\) is said to satisfy Lockett's condition if \(\mathcal F_*=\mathcal F^*\cap\mathcal E_*\), where \(\mathcal E\) is the class of all finite groups. It is shown that if \(\omega\) is a set of primes and \(\mathcal F\) is a Fitting class having \(\text{char}(\mathcal F)=\omega\) and being \(\omega\)-local as defined by \textit{L. A. Shemetkov} and \textit{A. N. Skiba} [Mat. Tr. 2, No. 2, 114-147 (1999; Zbl 0960.20011); translation in Sib. Adv. Math. 10, No. 2, 112-141 (2000)], then \(\mathcal F\) satisfies Lockett's condition (Theorem B). One consequence is a further solution towards the intersection problem, i.e.: if \(\mathcal X\) and \(\mathcal Y\) are Fitting classes, under what conditions does \((\mathcal X\cap\mathcal Y)_*=\mathcal X_*\cap\mathcal Y_*\) hold? \textit{N. T. Vorob'ev} [op. cit.] and \textit{A. Grytczuk} and \textit{N. T. Vorob'ev} [Tsukuba J. Math. 18, No. 1, 63-67 (1994; Zbl 0822.20015)] gave an affirmative answer for the case of soluble and local, respectively, Fitting classes. Theorem B of the present paper has as a corollary: If \(\mathcal F\) and \(\mathcal H\) are \(\omega\)-local Fitting classes satisfying Lockett's condition and their characteristics are subsets of \(\omega\), then \(\mathcal F\cap\mathcal H\) satisfies Lockett's condition and \((\mathcal F\cap\mathcal H)_*=(\mathcal F\cap\mathcal H)\cap\mathcal E_*\).