Finite groups with large Noether number are almost cyclic (Q2326257)

The present paper studies finite groups with large Noether number. Let \(G\) be a finite group and let \(F\) be any field. Consider a finite dimensional rational representation \(V\) of \(G\). Then the \(F\)-algebra \(F[V]^G\) of polynomial invariants for \(G\) acting on \(V\) is finitely generated. The Noether number of \(V\), \(\beta(G,V)\) is defined as the highest degree of an element of a minimal homogeneous generating set for \(F[V]^G\). The Noether number of \(G\), \(\beta(G):=\)sup\(\{\beta(G,V)\mid V\) is a finite dimensional \(G\)-representation defined over \(F\}\) is typically \(<|G|\). \textit{E. Noether} [Math. Ann. 77, 89--92 (1915; JFM 45.0198.01)], \textit{P. Fleischmann} [Adv. Math. 156, No. 1, 23--32 (2000; Zbl 0973.13003)], and \textit{J. Fogarty} [Electron. Res. Announc. Am. Math. Soc. 7, 5--7 (2001; Zbl 0980.13003)] proved that if \(F\) is of characteristic 0 or relatively prime to \(|G|\), then \(\beta(G)\leq |G|\). For an algebraically closed base field of characteristic zero, it was proved in [\textit{B. J. Schmid}, Lect. Notes Math. 1478, 35--66 (1991; Zbl 0770.20004)] that \(\beta(G) = |G|\) holds only if \(G\) is cyclic. The Noether number, \(\beta(G)\) is bounded from below by the maximal order of the elements in \(G\), that is, the Noether index \(n(G) = |G|/\beta(G)\) of a finite group \(G\) is at most the minimal index of a cyclic subgroup in \(G\). The main result of the present paper is: Theorem 1.1. Let \(G\) be a finite group with Noether index \(n(G)\). Then \(G\) has a characteristic cyclic subgroup of index at most \(n(G)^{10 \log_2 k}\), where \(k\) denotes the maximum of \(2^{10}\) and the largest degree of a non-abelian alternating composition factor of \(G\), if such exists. Furthermore if \(G\) is solvable, then \(G\) has a characteristic cyclic subgroup of index at most \(n(G)^{10}\). As a step in the proofs is obtained a result which may be of independent interest. Theorem 1.3. Let \(S\) be a finite simple group of Lie type or a sporadic simple group. Then \(n(S) \geq |S|^{1/40}\).