Solvable groups contain large centralizers (Q1082435)

A classical result of \textit{R. Brauer} and \textit{K. A. Fowler} [Ann. Math., II. Ser. 62, 565-583 (1955; Zbl 0067.01004)] shows that if \(G\) is a finite group of even order and its centre \(Z(G)\) has odd order, then some \(x\in G\setminus Z(G)\) has a centralizer of order \(>|G|^{1/3}\). In the present paper the author shows that if \(G\) is finite, nonabelian and solvable, then for some \(x\in G\setminus Z(G)\) the centralizer in \(G\) is of order \(>|G|^{1/2}\). The possibility that such a result might be true was first raised by E. A. Bertram, and special cases were proved in the papers [\textit{E. A. Bertram}, Isr. J. Math. 47, 335-344 (1984; Zbl 0548.20012)] and [\textit{E. A. Bertram} and \textit{M. Herzog}, Bull. Aust. Math. Soc. 32, 399-414 (1985; Zbl 0575.20018)].