Independence and maximal subgroups (Q1913508)

\(G\) denotes a finite group and \(M(G)\) the set of all maximal subgroups of \(G\). A simplicial complex \((M,{\mathcal T})\) is a finite set \(M\) and a set \(\mathcal T\) of subsets of \(M\) such that: (1) If \(m\in M\), then \(\{m\}\in{\mathcal T}\). (2) If \(A\in{\mathcal T}\) and \(B\subset A\), then \(B\in{\mathcal T}\). A matroid is a simplicial complex \((M,{\mathcal T})\) such that whenever \(A,B\in{\mathcal T}\) and \(|A|<|B|\), then there is a \(b\in B\setminus A\) such that \(A\cup\{b\}\in{\mathcal T}\). Let \({\mathcal H}:=(H_0>H_1>\cdots>H_\ell)\) denote a chief-series of \(G\). Then \(M(G)\) is the disjoint union of the sets \({\mathcal K}_i:=\{U\in M(G):H_iU=G,\;H_{i+1}\leq U\}\). Let \({\mathcal T}_{\mathcal H}:=\{X\subseteq M(G):|X\cap{\mathcal K}_i|\leq 1\) for all \(i<\ell\}\). If \(\mathcal C\) is the set of all chief-series of \(G\) and \({\mathcal T}_C:=\bigcup_{{\mathcal H}\in{\mathcal C}}{\mathcal T}_{{\mathcal H}}\), then \((M(G),{\mathcal T}_C)\) is a matroid. A set of subgroups \(\mathcal U\) of \(G\) is a \(\mathcal W\)-independent set of subgroups of \(G\), if \(\prod_{U\in{\mathcal U}}[G:U]=[G:\bigcap_{U\in{\mathcal U}}U]\). Let \({\mathcal T}_{{\mathcal W}}\) denote the set of all \(\mathcal W\)-independent sets of subgroups of \(G\). This paper is devoted to the study of the construct of matroids. In this direction the following results are proved: (a) Let \(\pi\) denote the set of all primes, \(M^p(G)\) the set of all maximal subgroups of \(p\)-power index and let \(M^\pi(G)=\bigcup_{p\in\pi}M^p(G)\). Then \((M^\pi(G),{\mathcal T}_{\mathcal W})\) is a matroid. It is the direct product over all \((M^p(G),{\mathcal T}_{\mathcal W})\) as \(p\) runs over \(\pi\). If \(2\neq p\in\pi\), then \((M^p(G),{\mathcal T}_{\mathcal W})=(M^p(G),{\mathcal T}_C)\). Furthermore for \(p\) a prime \({\mathcal T}_{\mathcal H}(M^p(G))^\cap={\mathcal T}_C(M^p(G))^\cap={\mathcal T}_{\mathcal W}(M^p(G))^\cap=S_C^p(G)\). Here \(S^p_C(G)\) is the set of all those subgroups \(U\) of \(p\)-power index in \(G\) for which the Möbius number \(\mu(U,G)\) is not zero. (b) One of the following holds. 1. \(G\) is an elementary abelian \(p\)-group and \((M^p(G),{\mathcal T}_{\mathcal W})=(M^p(G),{\mathcal T}_C)\) is a matroid without a non-trivial decomposition. 2. \(\Phi^p(G):=\bigcap_{U\in M^p(G)}U>E\) and \((M^p(G),{\mathcal T}_{\mathcal W})\cong(M^p(G/\Phi^p),{\mathcal T}_{\mathcal W})\). 3. \(G\) has a minimal normal non-abelian subgroup \(N\) and \((M^p(G),{\mathcal T}_{\mathcal W})\cong(M^p(G/N),{\mathcal T}_{\mathcal W})\times(M_N,{\mathcal T}_C)\). 4. \(G\) is not an abelian elementary \(p\)-group, \(\Phi^p(G)=E\) and every minimal normal subgroup is abelian. Let \(M\) denote a normal subgroup of \(G\), minimal under the condition that \(M\) is not an elementary abelian \(p\)-group. Let \(N\) denote a maximal \(G\)-normal subgroup of \(M\). Then: (i) \(M/N\) is not \(p\)-group. (ii) \(N\) has a complement in \(G\). Every chief-factor below \(N\) is a complemented \(p\)-chief-factor on which \(M/N\) acts faithfully.