Recognition by noncommuting graph of finite simple groups \(L_4(q)\). (Q2430816)

Let \(G\) be a non-Abelian group and associate the non-commuting graph \(\nabla(G)\) with \(G\) as follows: the vertex set of \(\nabla(G)\) is \(G\setminus Z(G)\) where \(Z(G)\) denotes the center of \(G\) and two vertices \(x\) and \(y\) are adjacent if and only if \(xy\neq yx\). The non-commuting graph \(\nabla(G)\) was first considered by Paul Erdős in 1975 [see \textit{B. H. Neumann}, J. Aust. Math. Soc., Ser. A 21, 467-472 (1976; Zbl 0333.05110)]. Clearly, \(G_1\cong G_2\) implies \(\nabla(G_1)\cong\nabla(G_2)\). A natural question is: Does the converse hold? In general, the answer to this question is negative, the groups \(D_8\) and \(Q_8\) are a counter example. Moreover, in the case that \(G_2\) is simple the above question becomes a conjecture, that is, all finite nonabelian simple groups are recognizable by their non-commuting graphs. In this paper, the authors prove that this conjecture is correct for \(L_4(q)\), \(q =7\), \(11\), \(13\), \(16\), \(17\).