Second maximal invariant subgroups and solubility of finite groups (Q6199721)

Let \(G\) be a finite group and let \(A\) be an authomorphism group of \(G\) such that \(A\) acts coprimely on \(G\) (that is \((|G|,|A|)=1\)). An \(A\)-invariant subgroup \(H\) of \(G\) is said to be second maximal \(A\)-invariant when \(H\) is a maximal \(A\)-invariant subgroup of a subgroup \(M\), which is maximal \(A\)-invariant in \(G\). If \(A=1\), then \(H\) is called a second maximal subgroup of \(G\). The main result in the paper under review is Theorem 1.1: Suppose that \(G\) and \(A\) are finite groups such that \(A\) acts coprimely on \(G\). If every second maximal \(A\)-invariant subgroup of \(G\) is nilpotent, then either (1) \(G\) is soluble, (2) or \(G\) is isomorphic to \(\mathrm{PSL}(2,5)\) or \(\mathrm{SL}(2, 5)\). In both cases, \(A\) acts trivially on \(G\). In [\textit{W. Meng} et al., Commun. Algebra 48, No. 4, 1577--1583 (2020; Zbl 1445.20013)], those groups whose all second maximal subgroups abelian are been classified. In this paper the authors extend the previous result by proving that if \(G\) is a non-abelian group and every second maximal \(A\)-invariant subgroup of \(G\) is abelian, then either \(G =\mathrm{PSL}(2,5)\) and \(A\) acts trivially on \(G\), or \(G\) is soluble, \(|\pi(G)| \leq 3\) and (1) if \(|\pi(G)|=3\), then every Sylow subgroup of \(G\) is abelian; (2) if \(|\pi(G)|=2\), then at least one Sylow subgroup of \(G\) is abelian.