Transitive linear groups and nearfields with solubility conditions (Q1087923)

Let \(V\) be a vector space of finite dimension over a skew field \(K\) and denote by \(\mathrm{GL}(V,K)\) the full linear group. Let \(G\) be a subgroup of \(\mathrm{GL}(V,K)\) which acts transitively on the non-zero vectors of \(V\). The two main results are: (1) If \(G\) contains an abelian normal subgroup \(A\) with \(\vert G/A\vert < \vert A\vert + 2\), then \(K\) is commutative and the \(K\)-algebra \(K[A]\) is a transitive field normalized by \(G\); and (2) If \(V\) is an infinite vector space (of finite dimension of \(K)\) and \(G\) contains a soluble normal subgroup \(N\) of index \(c\), with \(2^c< \vert N\vert\) then \(K\) is commutative and \(G\) normalizes a transitive field extension of \(K\). Several corollaries are obtained. One of these states that if \(F\) is an infinite nearfield of finite dimension over its kernel and the multiplicative group of \(F\) is soluble then \(F\) is a Dickson nearfield. The author points out that this result is false for finite nearfields. Further he mentions that the multiplicative group of certain non-Dickson nearfields (if they exist) must contain noncyclic free subgroups. He also points out that there exist infinite Dickson nearfields whose multiplicative groups contain non-cyclic free subgroups.