The impact of the solubilizer of an element on the structure of a finite group (Q7001248)

Let \(G\) be a finite group \(G\) and \(x \in G\), the solubilizer of \(x\) is defined as the set \(\mathrm{Sol}_G(x)=\{y \in G \mid \langle x, y \rangle \mbox{ is soluble} \}\). This notion generalizes the concept of radical elements and naturally extends Thompson's theorem on two-generated soluble subgroups (see [\textit{J. G. Thompson}, Bull. Am. Math. Soc. 74, 383--437 (1968; Zbl 0159.30804)]).\N\NThe authors study the structure of finite groups by analyzing the properties of the solubilizer of an element.\N\NThey prove the following results: If \(|\mathrm{Sol}_G(x)| = 2p\) for some odd prime \(p\), then \(G\) is simple and \(\mathrm{Sol}_G(x) = N_G(\langle x \rangle)\). More generally, if \(\mathrm{Sol}_G(x)\) is a subgroup of \(G\) and has small \(2\)-power order, then \(G\) is tightly constrained and often related to \(\mathrm{PSL}(2, p)\) for Mersenne primes \(p \ge 31\). \N\NThe paper also includes numerous examples and counterexamples based on computations with \textsf{GAP}, including a full classification in the case where \(\mathrm{Sol}_G(x)\) is a maximal metacyclic \(2\)-subgroup.