On the orders of composition factors in completely reducible groups (Q6123229)

Let \(G\) be a finite group, the composition length \(s(G)\) of \(G\) is the length of any composition series of \(G\). In [\textit{S. P. Glasby} et al., J. Lond. Math. Soc., II. Ser. 98, No. 3, 557--572 (2018; Zbl 1446.20008)] it is proved that if \(G\) is a permutation group of degree \(d\) with \(r\) orbits, then \(s(G) \leq 4(d-r)\) and, if \(G\) is primitive, \(s(G) \leq \frac{8}{3}\log_{2} d -\frac{4}{3}\). The main result of the paper under review is (Theorem 1.1): There exists a universal constant \(C\) (independent of any parameter) such that the following holds. Let \(q\) be a power of a prime \(p\) and let \(V\) be a finite vector space of dimension \(n\) over the field of size \(q\). If \(H\) is a subgroup of \(\mathrm{GL}(V)\) acting completely reducibly with \(r\) irreducible summands, then \(s(G)\leq C\cdot (n-r)\cdot (p-1)^{-1}\). This enables the authors to give a new bound for the diameter of a non-diagonal orbital graph of an affine primitive permutation group.