Solvable generation of finite groups (Q1087987)

Aschbacher and Guralnick have proved that an arbitrary finite group G is generated by a pair of conjugate solvable subgroups. Here the author shows that some conditions can be imposed on how the generating subgroups are embedded in G. Theorem: A finite group G contains a self-normalizing solvable subgroup S such that (i) \(G=<S,S^ g>\) for some g in G and (ii) each automorphism of G maps S onto a conjugate of S in G. The proof is by induction on the order of G. If S(G), the maximal normal solvable subgroup of G, is nontrivial then G/S(G) is considered. If \(S(G)=1\) then the generalized Fitting subgroup of G is a direct product of nonabelian simple groups, and the proof depends on the author's Lemma 2 which is the statement of the theorem with the additional assumption that G is a direct product of nonabelian simple groups. This in turn depends on a result of Aschbacher and Guralnick: If G is in \({\mathcal S}(p)\) then G is generated by a pair of Sylow p-subgroups. (For \(p>2\), \({\mathcal S}(p)\) is the totality of simple groups of Lie type which are derived from the Chevalley groups defined over fields of characteristic p; \({\mathcal S}(2)\) consists of the remaining finite nonabelian simple groups.)