On the subgroup index problem in finite groups. (Q1758934)

The subgroup index problem in finite groups asks for a lattice-theoretic description of the order of every subgroup of a given finite group \(G\). Of course, such a description is not always possible. Using the fundamental results on singular projectivities between finite groups, the authors construct in every \(P\)-indecomposable group \(G\) a lattice-determined subgroup, called \(\widetilde D\) in their paper, such that \(G\) is the semidirect product of \(\widetilde D\) and a cyclic group and that the order of every subgroup of \(\widetilde D\) is determined by the subgroup lattice \(L(G)\) of \(G\). As consequences of their results they obtain a lattice-theoretic characterization of the iterated Fitting subgroups \(F_n(G)\) (\(n\geq 2\)) of an arbitrary finite group \(G\) and they show how to compute an upper bound of \(|G|\) out of \(L(G)\) if \(G\) has no cyclic Hall direct factor; this bound is better than the one that was given by Suzuki in 1951.