A criterion for an element to belong to a given Sylow p-subgroup. I (Q919096)

[For part II cf. Geom. Dedicata 28, No.3, 363-368 (1988; Zbl 0673.20007).] The main result of this paper is: Theorem: If G is a finite group and if p is a prime with \(p>7\), then: (*) if P is a Sylow p-subgroup of G and if \(g\in G\) is such that \(<g,x>\) is a p-subgroup of G for all \(x\in P\), then \(g\in P.\) The authors demonstrate that in a counterexample to this theorem with \(| G|\) minimal, we have: \(F^*(G)\) is simple and \(G=F^*(G)<g>\). Then the classification of finite simple groups is invoked and a study of the properties of the relevant groups yields the desired contradiction. The Introduction also mentions some Engel identity conditions that are equivalent to the condition that (*) holds for all primes p.