Fitting height and character degree graphs. (Q2643601)

For any finite group \(G\), the character degree graph \(\Gamma(G)\) is the graph whose vertices are the primes dividing some (irreducible complex) character degree of \(G\), and two such primes \(p,q\) are connected by an edge if \(pq\) divides some character degree. A graph \(\Delta\) is said to be of bounded Fitting height, if the Fitting height \(h(G)\) of all finite solvable groups \(G\) with \(\Gamma(G)=\Delta\) is bounded. \textit{M. L. Lewis} [in Arch. Math. 75, No. 5, 338-341 (2000; Zbl 0986.20007)] conjectured that there might be a universal bound on \(h(G)\) for all finite solvable \(G\) with \(\Gamma(G)\) of bounded Fitting height and indicated that the bound might be 4. In the paper under review the author proves the conjecture with the bound 49 (and 7 if \(|G|\) is odd). The proof uses the generalized Gluck-Wolf theorem and the results on orbits obtained by the author and \textit{T. R. Wolf} [in Adv. Math. 184, No. 1, 18-36 (2004; Zbl 1068.20008), Erratum: ibid. Math. 184, No. 2, 409 (2004)].