Finite \(p\)-groups which determine \(p\)-nilpotency locally. (Q664873)

Given a finite group \(G\) and a prime number \(p\), it might happen that the normaliser \(N_G(P)\) of a Sylow \(p\)-subgroup \(P\) of \(G\) is \(p\)-nilpotent, but \(G\) is not \(p\)-nilpotent. This paper is devoted to the study of conditions for the structure of a Sylow \(p\)-subgroup \(P\) of a group \(G\) in order to ensure that if \(N_G(P)\) is \(p\)-nilpotent, then \(G\) is nilpotent. In this case, we say that the finite \(p\)-group \(P\) `determines \(p\)-nilpotency locally' and the class of finite \(p\)-groups with this property is called \(\mathfrak{DN}_p\). Let \(\mathbf C_{p^m}\) denote the cyclic group of order \(p^m\) for \(m\geq 1\). The group \(Y_p(1)\) is defined as the regular wreath product \(\mathbf C_p\wr\mathbf C_p\). Let \(\beta\colon\mathbf C_p\wr\mathbf C_p\to\mathbf C_p\) denote the canonical homomorphism whose kernel is the base group of the wreath product and let \(\gamma_m\colon\mathbf C_{p^m}\to\mathbf C_p\) be an epimorphism for \(m\geq 2\). The \(p\)-groups \(Y_p(m)\) for \(m\geq 2\) are defined as the pull-back of the pair \((\beta,\gamma_m)\). A finite \(p\)-group \(P\) is called `slim' if \(P\) contains no subgroup isomorphic to \(Y_p(m)\) for any \(m\geq 1\), and `extra slim' or \(\mathbf C_p\wr\mathbf C_p\)-free if \(P\) contains no sub-quotient isomorphic to \(\mathbf C_p\wr\mathbf C_p\). In the main theorem of the paper it is shown that extra slim \(2\)-groups determine \(2\)-nilpotency locally and slim \(p\)-groups for \(p\) odd determine \(p\)-nilpotency locally. The proof of the main theorem uses a version of Glauberman of Thompson's \(p\)-nilpotency criterion and an analysis of the possible counter-examples, the so-called \(pqp\)-sandwich groups, and their universal \(p\)-Schur-Frattini covers. Here the \(pqp\)-groups are groups of \(q\)-length \(1\) of the form \(G=P_0QC_p\) where \(Q\) is an irreducible and faithful module over \(C_p\) for the field of \(q\) elements and \(P_0\) is a non-trivial irreducible module for \(QC_p\) over the field of \(p\) elements. It is also shown that the class of extra slim \(2\)-groups is a maximal subgroup- and quotient-closed subclass of \(\mathfrak{DN}_2\) and that for \(p\) odd, the class of slim \(p\)-groups is a maximal subgroup-closed subclass of \(\mathfrak{DN}_p\).