On the number of conjugacy classes of zeros of characters. (Q1881739)

Let \(G\) be a nonabelian finite group. Given \(\chi\in\text{Irr}(G)\), let \(m(\chi)\) be the number of conjugacy classes of zeros of \(\chi\). Next, \(m(G)=\max\{m(\chi)\mid\chi\in\text{Irr}(G)\}\) and \(n(G)=\min\{m(\chi)\mid\chi\in\text{Irr}_1(G)\}\), where Irr\(_1(G)\) be the set of all nonlinear characters in \(\text{Irr}(G)\). Let \(F_i(G)\) be the \(i\)-th term of the Fitting series of a solvable group \(G\), \(F_1(G)=F(G)\) is the Fitting subgroup of \(G\). By \(h(G)\) we denote the Fitting height of \(G\). Theorem A. If \(G\) is a solvable group, then (a) If \(m(G)>1\), there exist real numbers \(C_1\) and \(C_2\) such that \(h(G)\leq C_1\log\log m(G)+C_2\). (b) \(|G:F_{10}(G)|\) is bounded in terms of \(m(G)\); moreover, if \(|F_{10}(G)|\) is odd, then \(|G:F(G)|\) is bounded in terms of \(m(G)\). Let \(P\) be a nonabelian \(p\)-group. Then \(|P|\) is bounded in terms of \(m(G)\) and the derived length of \(P\) is bounded in terms of \(n(P)\). If \(\chi\in\text{Irr}_1(P)\) and \(\chi(1)=p^n\), then \(m(\chi)\) is a multiple of \(p-1\) and \(m(\chi)\geq(p+n)(p-1)\). Let, in addition, \(p\geq 5\) and \(\chi\in\text{Irr}_1(G)\) with \(m(\chi)=p^2-1\). Then \(|P|\leq p^{2r-1}\), where \(r\) is the smallest prime not dividing \(p-1\). Next, it is proved that, for a finite group \(G\), \(m(G)=2\) if and only if \(G\) is one of the following groups: \(S_4\), \(A_5\), \(\text{PSL}(2,7)\); an extension of order \(2\) by a Frobenius group with complement of order \(2\); a Frobenius group with Abelian kernel of index \(3\).