On the global breadth of finite groups with nontrivial partitions

Abstract

In a series of recent contributions on the notion of global breadth $\mathbf{B}(G)$ of a finite group $G$, it was interesting to observe the structural conditions arising from the classification of finite groups of $\mathbf{B}(G)=8$. This motivated the study of a new class of finite groups, namely $\mathcal{H}=\{G \ | \ G \ \mbox{satisfies the condition } \ |G| \le \mathbf{B}(G)(\mathbf{B}(G) + 1)\}$ and very little is known about $\mathcal{H}$. Here we focus on the groups with nontrivial partitions (according to the terminology of Baer, Kegel and Kontorovich), determining first that $\mathbf{B}(G)$ is achieved via the local breadth in connection with the order of maximal cyclic subgroups. Then we show that $\mathcal{H}$ contains projective special linear groups, projective general linear groups and Suzuki groups, supporting the conjecture that all finite groups with nontrivial partitions belong to $\mathcal{H}$. The presence of large families of simple groups in $\mathcal{H}$ is shown for the first time here.

Continuation of a series of works of the 3rd author on the topic; 14pp