Variations of Landau's theorem for \(p\)-regular and \(p\)-singular conjugacy classes. (Q2630143)

By a theorem of Landau, the order \(|G|\) of a finite group \(G\) is bounded in terms of \(k(G)\), the number of conjugacy classes of \(G\) (which coincides with the number of irreducible complex characters of \(G\)). In the paper under review, the authors replace \(k(G)\) by \(k_{p'}(G)\), the number of \(p\)-regular conjugacy classes of \(G\), where \(p\) is a fixed prime. They show that, for a finite group \(G\) with \(\mathbf O_p(G)=1\), the \(p'\)-part of \(|G/\mathbf F(G)|\) is bounded in terms of \(k_{p'}(G)\). Moreover, \(|G/\mathbf O_\infty(G)|\) is bounded in terms of \(k_{p'}(G)\), and \(\mathbf O_\infty(G)/\mathbf F(G)\) has a metabelian normal subgroup whose index is bounded in terms of \(k_{p'}(G)\). Here \(\mathbf O_p(G)\) denotes the largest normal \(p\)-subgroup of \(G\), \(\mathbf F(G)\) denotes the Fitting subgroup of \(G\), and \(\mathbf O_\infty(G)\) denotes the largest solvable normal subgroup of \(G\). The question whether in fact \(|G/\mathbf F(G)|\) is bounded in terms of \(k_{p'}(G)\) leads to some deep open problems in number theory such as the question whether there are only finitely many Fermat primes. The authors also prove similar, but more technical results where \(k_{p'}(G)\) is replaced by \(k_p(G)\), the number of \(p\)-singular conjugacy classes of \(G\), and they state some interesting open problems.