On periodic groups isospectral to \(A_7\) (Q2191344)

Let \(G\) be a group, if \(g \in G\) let \(o(g)\) be the order of \(g\). The \textit{spectrum} of \(G\) is the set \[ \varpi(G)=\{ o(g) \mid g \in G \} \subseteq \mathbb{N}^{+} \cup \{\infty\}.\] From the knowledge of the spectrum of a group \(G\), it is often possible to deduce information on the structure of \(G\). If \(\varpi(G)=\{1,2\}\), then a folklore result establishes that \(G\) is elementary abelian. If \(\varpi(G)=\{1,3\}\), then \(G\) is nilpotent of class at most 3 [\textit{F. Levi} and \textit{ B. L. van der Waerden,} Abh. Math. Semin. Hamb. Univ. 9, 154--158 (1932; Zbl 0005.38507)]. If \(\varpi{G} \subseteq \{1,2,3,4\}\), then \(G\) is locally finite [\textit{I. N. Sanov}, Leningr. Gos. Univ., Uch. Zap., Ser. Mat. Nauk 10, 166--170 (1940; Zbl 0061.02506)] and if \(\varpi{G} \subseteq \{1,2,3,6\}\) then \(G\) is still locally finite [\textit{M. Hall} Ill. J. Math. 2, No. 4B, 764--786 (1958; Zbl 0083.24801)]. The above-mentioned results are particularly important as they provide the solution to (unrestricted) Burnside problem for exponents two, three, four and six. Two groups \(G\) and \(H\) are called \textit{isospectral} if \(\varpi(G)=\varpi(H)\), \(G\) is \textit{recognizable} by spectrum if every group isospectral to \(G\) is actually isomorphic to \(G\). Many finite groups (in particular simple groups) are recognizable by spectrum in the class of finite groups. If \(\varpi(G)=\{1,2,3,5\}\), then it is not difficult to prove \(G\simeq A_{5}\) without assuming that \(G\) is finite. In [\textit{D. V. Lytkina} and \textit{A. A. Kuznetsov}, Sib. Èlektron. Mat. Izv. 4, 136--140 (2007; Zbl 1134.20009)] it is proved that \(\mathrm{PSL}(2,7)\) is recognizable by spectrum and subsequently similar results were obtained in other cases. In particular if \(\varpi(G)=\{1,2,3,4,5,8\}\), then \(G \simeq M_{10}\), the non split extension of \(A_{6}\) by \(C_{2}\) [the reviewer, \textit{D. V. Lytkina} and \textit{A. S. Mamontov}, Int. J. Algebra Comput. 24, No. 2, 113--119 (2014; Zbl 1305.20046)] and if \(\varpi(G)=\{1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7\}\), then \(G \simeq \mathrm{PSL}(3,4)\) [the reviewer and \textit{A. S. Mamontov}, Algebra Logic 54, No. 4, 279-282 (2015; Zbl 1333.20039)]. The case where \(\varpi(G)=\{1,2,3,4,5,6,7\}\) seems to be much more difficult (mainly due to the presence of elements of order 6) but it has been conjectured that, in analogy to what happens if \(G\) is finite, we must have \(G\simeq A_{7}\). The article under review is a first step towards proving that \(A_{7}\) is recognizable by spectrum in the class of all groups (the reviewer reports that it has been proved in [\textit{I. B. Gorshkov}, Algebra Logic 52, No. 1, 41--45 (2013; Zbl 1272.20007)] that if \(n \geq 5\) and \(n \not = 6, 10\), then \(A_{n}\) is recognizable by spectrum in the class of finite groups). The main result of this paper is the following: Theorem. Let \(G\) be a periodic group isospectral to \(A_{7}\). Let \(K\) be a subgroup of \(G\) isomorphic to \(A_{4}\) whose involutions are squares of elements of order 4. Then either \(O_{2}(H) \leq O_{2}(G)\) or \(G\) contains a subgroup \(H\) such that \(H \simeq A_{5}\) or \(H \simeq \mathrm{PSL}(2,7)\). For Part II, see [the author and the reviewer, Sib. Math. J. 61, No. 6, 1093--1101 (2020; Zbl 1472.20077); translation from Sib. Mat. Zh. 61, No. 6, 1366--1376 (2020)].