On the structure of finite groups isospectral to finite simple groups. (Q500212)

The spectrum of a finite group is the set of its element orders. Groups are said to be isospectral if their spectra coincide. A finite nonabelian simple group \(L\) is said to be almost recognizable by spectrum if every finite group isospectral to \(L\) is an almost simple group with socle isomorphic to \(L\). It is known (see, for example, the papers of \textit{V. D. Mazurov} and \textit{W. Shi} [Algebra Colloq. 5, No. 3, 285-288 (1998; Zbl 0907.20028)], \textit{I. B. Gorshkov} [Algebra Logic 52, No. 1, 41-45 (2013; Zbl 1272.20007); translation from Algebra Logika 52, No. 1, 57-63 (2013)] and \textit{A. V. Vasil'ev} and \textit{A. M. Staroletov} [Algebra Logic 53, No. 6, 433-449 (2015; Zbl 1328.20024); translation from Algebra Logika 53, No. 6, 669-692 (2014)]) that all finite simple sporadic, alternating and exceptional groups of Lie type, except \(J_2\), \(A_6\), \(A_{10}\) and \(^3D_4(2)\), are almost recognizable by spectrum. The present paper is the final step in the proof of the following conjecture due to Mazurov: there exists a positive integer \(d_0\) such that every finite simple classical group of dimension larger than \(d_0\) is almost recognizable by spectrum. Namely, the authors prove that a nonabelian composition factor of a finite group isospectral to a finite simple symplectic or orthogonal group \(L\) of dimension at least 10, is either isomorphic to \(L\) or not a group of Lie type in the same characteristic as \(L\), and combining this result with earlier work, they deduce that Mazurov's conjecture holds with \(d_0=60\).