Finite groups with a splitting automorphism of odd order. (Q284095)

Let \(G\) be a group, an automorphism \(\alpha\) of \(G\) is called \(n\)-splitting if it satisfies the identity \[ gg^\alpha g^{\alpha^2}\cdots g^{\alpha^{n-1}}=1 \] for every \(g\in G\). If \(\alpha\) is an \(n\)-splitting automorphism of \(G\), then the order of \(\alpha\) divides \(n\), so, in particular the identity is an \(n\)-splitting automorphism of every group of exponent \(n\). Moreover if \(\alpha\) is a fixed-point-free automorphism of order \(n\) of a finite group \(G\), then \(\alpha\) is \(n\)-splitting. In 1959 \textit{D. R. Hughes} and \textit{J. G. Thompson} [Pac. J. Math. 9, 1097-1101 (1959; Zbl 0098.25201)] have proven that if a finite group \(G\) has a \(p\)-splitting automorphism (\(p\) a prime), then \(G\) admits a normal \(p\)-complement and soon after \textit{O. H. Kegel} [Math. Z. 75, 373-376 (1961; Zbl 0104.24904)] has proven that in this case \(G\) is actually nilpotent. It is also known that a finite group with a \(4\)-splitting automorphism is solvable [\textit{E. Jabara}, Boll. Unione Mat. Ital., VII. Ser., B 8, No. 4, 915-928 (1994; Zbl 0831.20025)] but \(A_6\), the alternating group on six letters, admits an \(8\)-splitting automorphism of order \(4\). In this nice paper the author proves that if a finite group \(G\) has an \(n\)-splitting automorphism and \(n\) is odd, then \(G\) is solvable.