On the Fitting height of a soluble group that is generated by a conjugacy class of 3-elements. II. (Q934097)

This is a continuation of an earlier paper by the authors [part I, Bull. Lond. Math. Soc. 39, No. 6, 973-981 (2007; Zbl 1147.20013)]. If \(G\) is a finite group, \(F(G)\) the Fitting subgroup of \(G\), \(P\) a subgroup of \(G\) of prime order \(p\), \(\Sigma_G(P:3)=\{A\leq G\): \(A\) is soluble and \(A=\langle P,P^{a_1},P^{a_2}\rangle\), where \(a_1,a_2\in A\}\), and \(\Sigma^f_G(P:3)\) the set consisting of the members of \(\Sigma_G(P:3)\) of maximal Fitting height, let \(f(G)\) be the Fitting height of \(G\) and, if \(G\) is non-trivial and soluble, let \(\psi(G)=\bigcap\{K\triangleleft G:f(G/K)<f(G)\}\). Theorem 1: If \(G\) is a soluble group, \(P\) a subgroup of \(G\) of order 3 and \(A\) a subgroup of \(G\) such that \(f(A)>3\) and \(A\in\Sigma^f_G(P:3)\), then \(\psi(A)\leq F(G)\). Corollary 2: If \(G\) is a group, \(P\) a subgroup of \(G\) of order 3 such that every five conjugates of \(P\) generate a soluble subgroup of \(G\), and there exists \(A\in\Sigma_G(P:3)\) with \(f(A)>3\), then there exists a prime \(q\) such that \(O_q(G)\neq 1\). Theorem 3: If \(G\) is a group, \(P\) a subgroup of \(G\) of order 3 and \(A\) is a subgroup of \(G\) other than \(P\) such that (i) \(A\) does not have a homomorphic image isomorphic to \(A_4\), (ii) \(A\in\Sigma_G(P:3)\) and (iii) \(A\) is maximal with respect to conditions (i) and (ii), then \(F(A)V\) is nilpotent for any nilpotent subgroup \(V\) of \(G\) that is normalised by \(A\); in particular \(F(A)F(G)\) is nilpotent.