Class-two quotients of finite permutation groups (Q6146264)

Let \(G\) be a finite group, \(p\) a prime, \(G^{\ast}=[G,G,G]\) and \(G^{*}(p)=G^{\ast}O^{p}(G)\). The subgroup \(G^{\ast}(p)\) is the normal subgroup of \(G\) with the largest \(p\)-quotient of class at most two, in particular \(G^{\ast}(p)=G^{\ast}\) if \(G\) is a \(p\)-group. Let \(G\) be a permutation group on a finite set \(\Omega\) and \(P\) a Sylow \(p\)-subgroup of \(G\). \textit{L. Kovács} and \textit{C. Praeger} [Pac. J. Math. 136, No. 2, 283--292 (1989; Zbl 0679.20002)] prove that the order of the largest abelian \(p\)-quotient of \(G\), is at most \(p^{n/p}\), where \(n=|\mathrm{Mov}_{\Omega}(P)|\), that is, the number of points moved by \(P\) on \(\Omega\). Under the same hypotheses, the authors prove Theorem A: \(|G: G^{\ast}(p)| \leq p^{\epsilon(n)}\), where \(\epsilon(n)=3n/4\) if \(p=2\) and \(\epsilon(n)=n/p\) if \(p>2\). The authors also list all groups whose largest class-two \(p\)-quotients attain this bound.