Insoluble groups with the rewriting property \(P_ 8\) (Q1176694)

It was shown by \textit{R. D. Blyth}, \textit{D. J. S. Robinson} [J. Lond. Math. Soc., II. Ser. 41, 438-444 (1990; Zbl 0663.20038)] that every group with the rewriting property \(\mathcal {P}_ 7\) is soluble whereas \(A_ 5\) has \(\mathcal {P}_ 8\). The main result of the present paper contains a classification of all insoluble \(\mathcal {P}_ 8\)-groups: Theorem. Let \(G\) be an insoluble group. Then \(G\) has \(\mathcal {P}_ 8\) if and only if it is a semidirect product of a group \(K\cong A_ 5\) by an abelian group \(H\) such that \([H: C_ H(K)]=1\) or 2. The proof uses the fact that a group has \({\mathcal P}_ n\) for some \(n\) if and only if it is finite-by-abelian-by-finite [see \textit{M. Curzio} et al., Arch. Math. 44, 385-389 (1985; Zbl 0544.20036)]. In particular, a simple group \(G\) with \(\mathcal {P}_ 8\) is finite, and in proving \(G\cong A_ 5\), by induction, the hypothesis of the following is satisfied: Proposition 3. The finite nonabelian simple groups all of whose proper nonabelian simple sections are isomorphic with \(A_ 5\), are \(PSL(2,2^ m)\), \(m=4\) or a prime; \(PSL(2,3^ m)\), \(PSL(2,5^ m)\), \(m\) a prime; \(PSL(2,p)\), \(p\) a prime \(\geq 7\); \(PSL(3,3)\), \(PSL(3,5)\), \(PSU(3,4)\) and \(Sz(2^ m)\), \(m\) an odd prime. Some of the groups here have been eliminated by heavy computer calculations. The final classification follows from group extension theory. Reviewer's remark: The ref. mentioned on page 253 is: \textit{M. Döll}, Nicht auflösbare Gruppen kleiner Tiefe, Diplomarbeit, Würzburg (1990).