Strongly closed subgroups of finite groups. (Q838135)

Let \(G\) be a group, \(S\) be a Sylow \(p\)-subgroup of \(G\) and \(1\neq A\) be a strongly closed subgroup of \(S\), i.e., if \(1\neq a\in A\), \(g\in G\) with \(a^g\in S\), then \(a^g\in A\). In [Ann. Math. (2) 99, 70-117 (1974; Zbl 0276.20011)] \textit{D. M. Goldschmidt} classified all such groups \(G=\langle A^G\rangle\) provided \(p=2\) and \(A\) is elementary Abelian. This was one of the crucial tools in the classification of the finite simple groups. In this paper the authors extend this result to arbitrary primes \(p\) and even to non-Abelian groups \(A\), for \(G=\langle A^G\rangle\). As any Sylow \(p\)-subgroup is strongly closed in itself they have to assume that \(A\neq S\). Generic examples are finite simple groups of Lie type in characteristic \(r\neq p\), such that \(S\) is Abelian but not elementary Abelian. For the proof the authors reduce the problem to \(G\) being simple. Then they use the classification of the finite simple groups and check if such a group satisfies the assumption. In contrast to this paper the proof due to Goldschmidt does not use the classification of the finite simple groups.