\(p\)-central action on finite groups. (Q2512716)

Suppose that a group \(A\) acts by automorphisms on a finite group \(G\). Let \(\gamma_k(G,A) \) be the subgroup generated by all the left-normed commutators \([x_1,x_2,\ldots,x_n]\) for \(n\geq k\) such that \(x_i\in G\cup A\), \(x_1\in G\), and at least \(k-1\) of the \(x_i\) belong to \(A\). Let \(p\) be a prime. It is said that \(A\) acts \(p\)-centrally by automorphisms on a subgroup \(H\) if \(A\) fixes every element of \(H\) of order dividing \(p\) (or \(4\) if \(p=2\)). It is proved that if \(G\) is a \(p\)-group and \(A\) acts \(p\)-centrally on \(\gamma_p(G,A) \), then both \(A\) and \([G,A]\) have the property that the elements of order dividing any given power \(p^i\) form a subgroup; \(A\) and \([G,A]\) have the same exponent; and \(A\) and \([G,A]\) are nilpotent of class bounded in terms of \(p\) and the exponent of \(A\). It is also proved that if a finite group \(G\) acts \(p\)-centrally on \(\gamma_i(G)\) for some \(i\geq 1\), then \(G\) has a normal \(p\)-complement. This result is also used to provide another proof of a theorem of \textit{J. González-Sánchez} and \textit{T. S. Weigel} [Isr. J. Math. 181, 125-143 (2011; Zbl 1234.20024)]. Finally, the following analogue of the reviewer's result [in \textit{E. I. Khukhro}, Int. J. Group Theory 1, No. 2, 51-57 (2012; Zbl 1262.20015)] is proved: if, in a finite \(p\)-soluble group \(G\), a Sylow \(p\)-subgroup acts \(p\)-centrally on \(\gamma_k(P)\) for some \(k\geq 1\), then the \(p\)-length of \(G\) is at most \(2m+1\), where \(m\) is the largest integer satisfying \(p^m-p^{m-1}\leq k\). Reviewer's remark: As one of corollaries, the author mentions that a \(p\)-group \(A\) of automorphisms of a finite \(p\)-group \(P\) of order at most \(p^p\) and of exponent \(p\) also has exponent \(p\) (a negative answer to one of Berkovich's questions). This fact also follows from an application of Lazard's correspondence to \(P\), which turns \(P\) into a Lie algebra \(L\) of dimension at most \(p\) over the field of order \(p\); then every automorphism of \(P\) is also a linear transformation of the underlying vector space of \(L\).