On a conjecture of Huppert for alternating groups (Q1865730)

Let \(G\) be a finite group. Let \(cd(G)\) denote the set of degrees of complex irreducible characters of \(G\). In the paper under review the following result on the alternating group is proved: Let \(n\geq 5\). Suppose that there is a prime \(p\) such that elements of \(cd(A_n)\) are either prime to \(p\) or \(p\)-powers and that some \(p\)-power \(>1\) is in \(cd(A_n)\). Then \(n=5\) and \(p=2,3\) or \(5\), or \(n=6\) and \(p=3\). The above result was proved by \textit{A. Balog, C. Bessenrodt, J. B. Olsson}, and \textit{K. Ono} [J. Lond. Math. Soc., II. Ser. 64, No.~2, 344-356 (2001; see the review Zbl 1018.20008 above)], but in the paper under review a direct and elementary proof is provided.