A criterion for nonsolvability of a finite group and recognition of direct squares of simple groups (Q6160497)

If \(G\) is a finite group, then the spectrum \(\varpi(G)=\{ o(g) \mid g \in G \}\) of \(G\) is the set of orders of elements of \(G\). Two groups \(G\) and \(H\) are said to be isospectral if \(\varpi(G)=\varpi(H)\) and the number of pairwise non-isomorphic finite groups isospectral to a group \(G\) is denoted by \(h(G)\). A group \(G\) is recognizable by spectrum if \(h(G)=1\), almost recognizable if \(h(G)\) is finite and unrecognizable if \(h(G) = \infty\). A first result proved in the paper under review is that if among the prime divisors of the order of \(G\), there are four different primes such that \(\varpi(G)\) contains all their pairwise products but not a product of any three of these numbers, then \(G\) is nonsolvable. Using this result, the authors show that for \(q\geq 8\) and \(q \not = 32\), the direct square \(\mathrm{Sz}(q) \times \mathrm{Sz}(q)\) of the simple exceptional Suzuki group \(\mathrm{Sz}(q)\) is recognizable by spectrum. Furthermore, if \(G=\mathrm{Sz}(32) \times \mathrm{Sz}(32)\), then \(h(G)=5\).