On the nilpotency class of finite groups with a Frobenius group of automorphisms

Abstract

Suppose that a metacyclic Frobenius group $FH$, with kernel $F$ and complement $H$, acts by automorphisms on a finite group $G$, in such a way that $C_G(F)$ is trivial and $C_G(H)$ is nilpotent. It is known that $G$ is nilpotent and its nilpotency class can be bounded in terms of $|H|$ and the nilpotency class of $C_G(H)$. Until now, it was not clear whether the bound could be made independent of the order of $H$. In this article, we construct a family $\mathfrak{G}$ of finite nilpotent groups, of unbounded nilpotency class. Each group in $\mathfrak{G}$ admits a metacyclic Frobenius group of automorphisms such that the centralizer of the kernel is trivial and the centralizer of the complement is abelian. This shows that the dependence of the bound on the order of $H$ is essential.