On the number of conjugacy classes of maximal subgroups in a finite soluble group (Q1289291)

Let \(\mathfrak F\) be a soluble formation of finite groups, and denote with \(\overline m({\mathfrak F})\) the least upper bound on the number of conjugacy classes of maximal \(\mathfrak F\)-subgroups of a finite soluble group \(G\) not belonging to the formation \(\mathfrak F\). The following statements are main results of this paper. (1) If \({\mathfrak S}_{\pi'}{\mathfrak F}={\mathfrak F}\), then \(\overline m({\mathfrak S}_\pi{\mathfrak F})\leq\overline m({\mathfrak F})+1\) for every set of primes \(\pi\). (2) \(\overline m({\mathfrak N}{\mathfrak F})=\overline m({\mathfrak F})+1\). (3) If \({\mathfrak F}\neq{\mathfrak S}_\pi\) is a local formation of characteristic \(\pi\neq\emptyset\) with full integrated formation function \(F\), then \(\overline m(F(p))\leq\overline m({\mathfrak F})\) for every \(p\in\pi\). In particular, we observe that \(\overline m({\mathfrak N}^n)=n+1\) for every nonnegative integer \(n\), where \({\mathfrak N}^n\) is the formation of all finite groups of Fitting length \(\leq n\); thus if \(G\) is a finite group with Fitting length \(n\geq 1\), then \(G\) has at most \(n\) conjugacy classes of maximal subgroups whose Fitting length is at most \(n-1\).