Exponential and weakly exponential subgroups of finite groups

Abstract

Sabatini (2024) defined a subgroup $H$ of $G$ to be an exponential subgroup if $x^{|G:H|} \in H$ for all $x \in G$. Exponential subgroups are a generalization of normal (and subnormal) subgroups: all subnormal subgroups are exponential, but not conversely. Sabatini proved that all subgroups of a finite group $G$ are exponential if and only if $G$ is nilpotent. The purpose of this paper is to explore what the analogues of a simple group and a solvable group should be in relation to exponential subgroups. We say that an exponential subgroup $H$ of $G$ is exp-trivial if either $H = G$ or the exponent of $G$, ${\rm exp}(G)$, divides $|G:H|$, and we say that a group $G$ is exp-simple if all exponential subgroups of $G$ are exp-trivial. We classify finite exp-simple groups by proving $G$ is exp-simple if and only if ${\rm exp}(G) = {\rm exp}(G/N)$ for all proper normal subgroups $N$ of $G$, and we illustrate how the class of exp-simple groups differs from the class of simple groups. Furthermore, in an attempt to overcome the obstacle that prevents all subgroups of a generic solvable group from being exponential, we say that a subgroup $H$ of $G$ is weakly exponential if, for all $x \in G$, there exists $g \in G$ such that $x^{|G:H|} \in H^g$. If all subgroups of $G$ are weakly exponential, then $G$ is wexp-solvable. We prove that all solvable groups are wexp-solvable and almost all symmetric and alternating groups are not wexp-solvable. Finally, we completely classify the groups ${\rm PSL}(2,q)$ that are wexp-solvable. We show that if $\pi(n)$ denotes the number of primes less than $n$ and $w(n)$ denotes the number of primes $p$ less than $n$ such that ${\rm PSL}(2,p)$ is wexp-solvable, then $\lim_{n \to \infty} \frac{w(n)}{\pi(n)} = \frac{1}{4}.$