Standard components of alternating type centralized by a 4-group. (Q2474471)

In 1975 \textit{M. Aschbacher} published his fundamental paper on finite groups of component type [Ill. J. Math. 19, 87-115 (1975; Zbl 0299.20013)], where under certain assumptions he proved the existence of a standard subgroup. To show that the concept of the standard subgroup \(A\) works well if the 2-rank of \(C_G(A)\) is at least two he wrote a paper on standard subgroups \(A\) of type \(A_n\) where \(m_2(C(A))>1\). This paper has never been published but used in the actual classification of the finite simple groups. Now we see an improved version of the original paper. The statement of course is still the same: Let \(G\) be a finite group with \(O(G)=1\) and \(A\) a standard subgroup such that \(m_2(C_G(A))>1\) and \(A/Z(A)\cong A_n\). Then either (1) \(A\trianglelefteq G\), (2) \(G\cong A_{n+4}\), (3) \(n=5\) and \(G\cong J_2\), \(\Aut(J_2)\) or \(\Aut(M_{12})\). There are two essential changes to the original paper. The identification of \(A_{n+4}\) is now achieved via generators and relations. The identification in the case \(n=5\) does not use the sectional 2-rank 4 paper due to D. Gorenstein and K. Harada as this paper probably will not be part of the revision of the classification of the finite simple groups. Now the centralizer of a 2-central in \(G\) is determined and then the identification of \(G\) goes via centralizer classification theorems, which can be found in a paper of the author [Ill. J. Math. 47, No. 1-2, 31-47 (2003; Zbl 1032.20012)] and in his book on sporadic groups.