Profinite groups and centralizers of coprime automorphisms whose elements are Engel (Q1748043)

A group \(G\) is called \(n\)-Engel if for every pair of elements \(x,y \in G\) the \(n\)-commutator \([[x,_ny]=1\), where \([x,_ny]=[[x,_{n-1} y], y]\). Denote \(\gamma_i(G)\) and \(G^{(i)}\) the \(i\)-th terms of lower central series and of the derived series term respectively. The centralizer of an element \(a\) is denoted by \(C_G(a)\) and \(q'\)-group means a groups of order coprime to \(q\). Let \(q\) be a prime, \(n\) a positive integer and \(A\) an elementary abelian group of order \(q^r\) acting on a finite \(q'\)-group \(G\). The authors prove the following theorems Theorem. For \(r\geq 2\) one has (1) If all elements in \(\gamma_{r-1}(C_G(a))\) are \(n\)-Engel in \(G\) for any \(1\neq a\in A\), then \(\gamma_{r-1}(G)\) is \(k\)-Engel for some \(\{n; q; r\}\)-bounded number \(k\). (2) If, for some integer \(d\) such that \(2^d\leq r-1\), all elements in the \(d\)-th derived group of \(C_G(a)\) are \(n\)-Engel in \(G\) for any \(1\neq a \in A\), then the \(d\)th derived group \(G^{(d)}\) is \(k\)-Engel for some \(\{n; q; r\}\)-bounded number \(k\). Theorem. For \(r\geq 3\) one has (1) If all elements in \(\gamma_{r-2}(C_G(a))\) are \(n\)-Engel in \(C_G(a)\) for any \(1\neq a\in A\), then \(\gamma_{r-2}(G)\) is \(k\)-Engel for some \(\{n; q; r\}\)-bounded number \(k\). (2) If, for some integer \(d\) such that \(2^d\leq r-2\), all elements in the \(d\)-th derived group of \(C_G(a)\) are \(n\)-Engel in \(C_G(a)\) for any \(1\neq a \in A\), then the \(d\)th derived group \(G^{(d)}\) is \(k\)-Engel for some \(\{n; q; r\}\)-bounded number \(k\). The authors then deduce the following profinite (non-quantative) analogues of these two theorems. Suppose now the above \(G\) is a profinite group coprime to \(q\). Theorem. For \(r\geq 2\) one has (1) If all elements in \(\gamma_{r-1}(C_G(a))\) are Engel in \(G\) for any \(1\neq a\in A\), then \(\gamma_{r-1}(G)\) is locally nilpotent. (2) If, for some integer \(d\) such that \(2^d\leq r-1\), all elements in the \(d\)-th derived group of \(C_G(a)\) are Engel in \(G\) for any \(1\neq a \in A\), then the \(d\)th derived group \(G^{(d)}\) is locally nilpotent. Theorem. For \(r\geq 3\) one has (1) If all elements in \(\gamma_{r-2}(C_G(a))\) are Engel in \(C_G(a)\) for any \(1\neq a\in A\), then \(\gamma_{r-2}(G)\) is locally nilpotent. (2) If, for some integer \(d\) such that \(2^d\leq r-2\), all elements in the \(d\)-th derived group of \(C_G(a)\) are Engel in \(C_G(a)\) for any \(1\neq a \in A\), then the \(d\)th derived group \(G^{(d)}\) is locally nilpotent.