On finite groups with an automorphism of prime order whose fixed points have bounded Engel sinks (Q2115174)

A left Engel sink of an element \(g\) of a group \(G\) is a set \(\mathcal E(g)\) such that for every \(x \in G\) all sufficiently long commutators \([\dots[[x, g], g],\dots, g]\) belong to \(\mathcal E(g)\), while a right Engel sink of an element \(g\) of a group \(G\) is a set \(\mathcal R(g)\) such that for every \(x \in G\) all sufficiently long commutators \([\dots [[g, x], x],\dots, x]\) belong to \(\mathcal R(g)\). Let \(C_G(\varphi):=\{g\in G|g^\varphi=g\}\) be the fixed points of \(\varphi\), which is also called the centralizer of \(\varphi\) in \(G\). The main results of the paper under review are the following. Theorem 1.3. Let \(G\) be a finite group admitting an automorphism \(\varphi\) of prime order coprime to \(|G|\). Let \(m\) be a positive integer such that every element \(g\) in the the centralizer \(C_G(\varphi)\) has a left Engel sink \(\mathcal{E}(g)\) of cardinality at most \(m\). Then \(G\) has a metanilpotent normal subgroup of index bounded in terms of \(m\) only. Theorem 1.4. Let \(G\) be a finite group admitting an automorphism \(\varphi\) of prime order coprime to \(|G|\). Let \(m\) be a positive integer such that every element \(g\in C_G(\varphi)\) has a right Engel sink \(\mathcal{R}(g)\) of cardinality at most \(m\). Then \(G\) has a nilpotent normal subgroup of index bounded in terms of \(m\) only. The conclusion for right Engel sinks is stronger. Note that while it is well-known that the inverse of a right Engel element is left Engel, there is no such a straightforward connection between left and right Engel sinks, and Theorem 1.4 is not a consequence of Theorem 1.3.