Average dimension of fixed point spaces with applications. (Q610675)

This interesting paper generalizes and improves numerous results on fixed point spaces, BFC-groups and related subjects. The proofs are clever and elegant (but do depend on CFSG). We mention some of the main results. Theorem: Let \(G\) be a finite group, \(F\) a field, and \(V\) a finite dimensional \(FG\)-module. Let \(N\) be a normal subgroup of \(G\) such that \(N\) has no trivial composition factor on \(V\). Let \(g\in G\). Then the arithmetic average dimension of the fixed point spaces of elements of the coset \(Ng\) on \(V\) is at most \((1/p)\dim V\) where \(p\) is the smallest prime divisor of the order of \(G\), and the cases where equality holds are classified. This general result finally settles a conjecture of P. M. Neumann from his 1966 doctoral dissertation and is stronger than all previous advances on the problem such as the work of \textit{P. M. Neumann} and \textit{M. R. Vaughan-Lee} [Proc. Lond. Math. Soc., III. Ser. 35, 213-237 (1977; Zbl 0369.20012)] or the recent work of \textit{I. M. Isaacs}, the reviewer, \textit{U. Meierfrankenfeld}, and \textit{A. Moretó} [Proc. Am. Math. Soc. 134, No. 11, 3123-3130 (2006; Zbl 1117.20006)]. Various applications of this result are given; in particular, another 1966 conjecture of Neumann, which had so far withstood all attempts to prove it and which states that a finite solvable group \(G\) acting irreducibly on a finite \(G\)-module \(V\) contains an element fixing at most one third of the elements in \(V\), now follows easily in much more generality. (The paper mentions that this conjecture of Neumann was also proved in a preprint by the first author and \textit{G. Malle} [Products of conjugacy classes and fixed point spaces. \url{arXiv:1005.3756v3}].) Turning to \(n\)-BFC-groups (groups all of whose conjugacy class sizes are finite and \(n\) is the maximal conjugacy class size), recall that it is well-known that these groups have finite commutator subgroups. In the paper several bounds on \(n\)-BFC-groups by Neumann and Vaughan-Lee [op. cit.] and \textit{D. Segal} and \textit{A. Shalev} [Q. J. Math., Oxf. II. Ser. 50, No. 200, 505-516 (1999; Zbl 0946.20011)] are strengthened. For example, if \(G\) is a \(n\)-BFC-group with \(n>1\), then \(|G'|<n^{(1/2)(7+\log_2 n)}\), \(|G'|\leq n^{3d+2}\) (where \(d\) is the minimal number of generators of \(G\)), and the product of the orders of all non-central chief factors of \(G\) is less than \(n^2\).