The vanishing-off subgroup. (Q1014605)

Let \(G\) be a finite group. In this paper the author defines the vanishing-off subgroup \(V(G)\) of \(G\) to be the subgroup generated by all elements \(g\in G\) such that there exists a nonlinear irreducible character of \(G\) whose value at \(g\) is zero. The first result of the paper is that if \(G\) is nonabelian and solvable, then \(G/V(G)\) is cyclic or an elementary Abelian \(p\)-group for some prime \(p\). Next, the author defines \(G_1=G\) and \(G_i=[G_{i-1},G]\) for \(i\geq 2\) and also \(V_1(G)=V(G)\) and \(V_i(G)=[V_{i-1}(G),G]\). He then proves that for any \(G\) we have \(G_{i+1}\leq V_i(G)\leq G_i\) for all \(i\) and provides detailed structural information in the cases that \(V_2(G)<G_2\) and \(V_3(G)<G_3\). Some examples are also included.