Large character degrees of solvable groups with Abelian Sylow 2-subgroups. (Q2370273)

Let \(G\) be a finite group, let \(F(G)\) be its Fitting subgroup and let \(b(G)\) denote the largest irreducible complex character degree of \(G\). By a result of \textit{D. Gluck} [Can. J. Math. 37, 442-451 (1985; Zbl 0572.20004)] it is known that \(|G:F(G)|\) is bounded above by some polynomial function of \(b(G)\). For solvable \(G\), there has been some effort to find a strong such bound, and the currently best bounds are \(|G:F(G)|\leq b(G)^3\) in general and \(|G:F(G)|\leq b(G)^2/2\) for \(|G|\) odd [\textit{A. Moretó} and \textit{T. R. Wolf}, Adv. Math. 184, No. 1, 18-36 (2004; Zbl 1068.20008); erratum: Adv. Math. 184, No. 2, 409 (2004)]. In the paper under review it is proved that if \(G\) is solvable with Abelian Sylow 2-subgroups, then \(|G:F(G)|\leq b(G)^2\). As the previous bounds, the new result is established by proving the existence of long orbits in certain linear group actions, more precisely: If \(G\) is solvable and \(V\) a finite faithful completely reducible \(G\)-module (possibly of mixed characteristic), and the Sylow 2-subgroups of \(GV\) are Abelian, then \(G\) has a regular orbit on \(V\oplus V\).