On the holomorph of finite semisimple groups (Q831208)

If \(G\) is a finite group and \(\rho: G \rightarrow S(G)\) is the right regular representation of \(G\), recall that the normalizer \[ \mathrm{Hol}(G)=N_{S(G)}(\rho(G)) \] of \(\rho(G)\) in the symmetric group \(S(G)\) on the set of the elements of \(G\) is called \textit{holomorph} of \(G\). An interesting problem that has aroused interest in both past and recent research is to determine, for \(G\) in a given class of groups, those groups that have the same holomorph as \(G\). In particular, the authors determine, in the case when \(G\) is a finite nonabelian semisimple group, the set \[ \mathcal{H}(G)=\{H\leq S(G) \mid \mbox{\(H\) is regular}, H\cong G, N_{S(G)}(H)=\mathrm{Hol}(G)\}, \] and study the structure of the group \[ T(G)=N_{S(G)}(\mathrm{Hol}(G))/\mathrm{Hol}(G) \] which acts regularly on the set \(\mathcal{H}(G)\). Exploiting the classifiction of finite simple groups, the authors first give a complete list \(\mathcal{L}\) of finite quasisimple groups that do not have automorphisms inverting their center, completely answering to a question posed in [\textit{A. Caranti} and \textit{F. Dalla Volta}, J. Algebra 507, 81--102 (2018; Zbl 1418.20008)]. Then, they prove that if \(X\) is a finite semisimple group with all components not in \(\mathcal{L}\), then there exists an automorphism of \(X\) that inverts the center \(Z(X)\). Finally, exploiting this result, they prove their main result Theorem. Let \(G\) be a finite nonabelian semisimple group, and let \[ G=A_1A_2\cdots A_n \] be its unique central decomposition as a product of \(\mathrm{Aut}(G)\)-indecomposable factors. Assume that the number of factors \(A_i\) of \(G\) having components in \(\mathcal{L}\) is exactly \(l\) for some \(0\leq l \leq n\). Then \(T(G)\) is an elementary abelian group of order \(2^h\) for some \(h\) with \(\min\{n-l+1,n\} \leq h\leq n\), acting regularly on \(\mathcal{H}(G)\). Moreover, if the centers of the factors \(A_i\) are all amalgamated, then \(|\mathcal{H}(G)|=2^m\), and \(T(G)\) is elementary abelian of order \(2^m\), where \(m=\min\{n,n-l+1\}.\)