The second maximal groups with respect to the sum of element orders (Q2200952)

\textit{H. Amiri} et al. [Commun. Algebra 37, No. 9, 2978--2980 (2009; Zbl 1183.20022)] proved that among all finite groups of a given order \(n\), the cyclic group \(G=C_n\) has the largest sum of element orders \(\psi(G)\). The authors of this paper strengthened this to the statement that for all finite non-cyclic groups \(G\), one has \(\psi(G)\leq\frac{7}{11}\psi(C_n)\) [the authors, J. Pure Appl. Algebra 222, No. 7, 1628--1642 (2018; Zbl 1486.20030)]. They also observed that equality is achieved if \(|G|=4k\) with \(k\) odd and \(G=C_2\times C_2\times C_k\). In this paper, the authors strengthen their earlier result further by showing that if \(G\) is a finite non-cyclic group, and if \(q\) is the smallest prime divisor of \(|G|\), then \[ \psi(G)\leq\frac{((q^2-1)q+1)(q+1)}{q^5+1}\psi(C_{|G|})=f(q)\psi(C_{|G|}), \] equality being achieved if and only if \(|G|=q^2k\) with \(\operatorname{gcd}(q,k)=1\) and \(G=C_q\times C_q\times C_k\). The proof of this upper bound is by induction on the largest prime divisor \(p\) of \(|G|\). The case \(q=2\) (which comprises the induction base \(p=2\)) is the known bound from [loc. cit.]. In the induction step, the authors use the indirect assumption \(\psi(G)>f(q)\psi(C_{|G|})\) to fix an element \(x\in G\) of large order. If \(p=q\), they show that \(|G:\langle x\rangle|=q\), implying the contradictory \(\psi(G)\leq f(q)\psi(C_{|G|})\). If \(p>q\), they show that \(|G:\langle x\rangle| < p\), whence \(G\) has a normal cyclic Sylow \(p\)-subgroup \(P\), and the induction hypothesis implies \(G=P\rtimes F\) with \(F\) cyclic. Again, this allows the authors to conclude that \(\psi(G)\leq f(q)\psi(C_n)\). The proof of the nontrivial implication in the classification of finite non-cyclic groups that achieve the bound is by induction on the largest prime divisor of the group order as well, and it proceeds along similar lines. In it, the authors also make use of the classification for groups of prime power order from [\textit{R. Shen} et al., Commun. Algebra 43, No. 6, 2618--2631 (2015; Zbl 1317.20027), Lemma 4.2 and Theorem 4.4(1)] to rule out the \(q\)-groups other than \(C_q\times C_q\).