Finite simple \(3'\)-groups are cyclic or Suzuki groups. (Q2453477)

The authors prove that a nonabelian simple \(3'\)-group is a Suzuki group. This result goes back to \textit{J. G. Thompson} [Symp. math. 13, Gruppi abeliani, Gruppi e loro rappresent., Convegni 1972, 517-530 (1974; Zbl 0301.20009)] but has never been published. One also can get it as a corollary of a quite recent paper due to \textit{M. Aschbacher} [Proc. Edinb. Math. Soc., II. Ser. 56, No. 1, 27-48 (2013; Zbl 1278.20021)] using fusion systems. In the paper under review the authors give a more or less elementary proof based on the \(Z^*\)-Theorem, the Solvable-Functor-Theorem and the classification of the Bender groups. The key is a result, which classifies the \(3'\)-groups with a strongly closed abelian 2-subgroup. The authors give a proof for this, which is independent of the same result due to \textit{D. M. Goldschmidt} [Ann. Math. (2) 99, 70-117 (1974; Zbl 0276.20011)]. The existence of such a strongly closed group is established via a characteristic subgroup \(W(T)\), whose existence in \(\Sigma_4\)-free groups was proved by \textit{B. Stellmacher} [Isr. J. Math. 94, 367-379 (1996; Zbl 0855.20020)].