Conjugacy classes of p'-elements in finite groups (Q583360)

For a finite group G, a prime p, and a nonempty subset S of G, \(r_ G(S)\) and \(r_ G^{p'}(S)\) denote, respectively, the number of distinct conjugacy classes, and the number of distinct conjugacy classes of \(p'\)- elements, which intersect S nontrivially. In particular, \(r^{p'}(G)=r_ G^{p'}(G)\). For a normal subgroup N of G and a Sylow p-subgroup P of G, several inequalities such as \(r_ G(N)\leq | P\cap N| \cdot r_ G^{p'}(N)\) and \(r^{p'}(G)\leq | P\cap N| \cdot r^{p'}(G/N)\cdot r^{p'}(N)\) are obtained. For these two, the author gives necessary and sufficient conditions for equality to hold. Putting \(N=G\) in the first inequality gives a result of \textit{R. Brandl} [Arch. Math. 38, 322-323 (1982; Zbl 0458.20007)], and when p does not divide the order of G, the second inequality is equivalent to a result of \textit{P. X. Gallagher} [Math. Z. 118, 175-179 (1970; Zbl 0221.20006)].