The \(p\)-length of a solvable group bounded by conditions on its character degree graph (Q1125882)

The article deals with the question how far the structure of a solvable group \(G\) can be controlled by the arithmetic of the irreducible complex character degrees. The main result is the following Theorem: Let \(G\) be a finite solvable group. (a) Let \(p\neq q\) be primes different from 3. Suppose that \(p\mid\chi(1)\) and \(q\mid\varphi(1)\) for suitable \(\chi,\varphi\in\text{Irr}(G)\), but \(pq\nmid\varphi(1)\) for all \(\varphi\in\text{Irr}(G)\). Then the \(p\)-length \(\ell_p(G)\) and the \(q\)-length \(\ell_q(G)\) are bounded by 2. If even \(p\neq 2\neq q\), then \(\ell_p(G)+\ell_q(G)\leq 3\). (b) Without the restrictions on \(p\) and \(q\) there always holds \(\ell_p(G)\leq 3\) and \(\ell_q(G)\leq 3\). The proof of the theorem is very subtle and depends on deep results of Gluck and Wolf. The most critical known example is the natural extension \(G\) of the module \(V(2,3)\) by \(\text{GL}(2,3)\). Here the irreducible character degrees are 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 16 and \(\ell_2(G)=\ell_3(G)=2\). So part (a) might be true even if 3 is involved.