A reduction theorem for a conjecture on products of two \(\pi\)-decomposable groups. (Q376040)

Let \(\pi\) be a set of primes and let \(\pi'\) be the complement of \(\pi\) in the set of all prime numbers. A group \(G\) is said to be \(\pi\)-decomposable if \(G\) has a normal Hall \(\pi\)-subgroup \(G_\pi\) and a normal Hall \(\pi'\)-subgroup \(G_{\pi'}\). The present paper is an important contribution to solve the following conjecture stated by the authors in their paper [\textit{L. S. Kazarin} et al., Publ. Mat., Barc. 53, No. 2, 439-456 (2009; Zbl 1200.20016)]: Assume that \(\pi\) is composed of odd primes and let \(G =AB\) be the product of the \(\pi\)-decomposable subgroups \(A\) and \(B\). Then \(A_\pi B_\pi=B_\pi A_\pi\) and \(A_\pi B_\pi\) is a Hall \(\pi\)-subgroup of \(G\). They proved [in loc. cit.] that the conjecture is true if either \(A\) and \(B\) are soluble or the Hall \(\pi'\)-subgroups of \(A\) and \(B\) have coprime orders. The main result of the paper under review is to show that a minimal counterexample to this conjecture would have to be an almost simple group \(G\). The complete proof of the conjecture is presented by the authors [in Rev. Mat. Iberoam. 31, No. 1, 51-68 (2015; Zbl 1316.20017)].