Let $G$ be a finite group admitting a coprime automorphism $alpha$ of order $e$. Denote by $I_G(alpha)$ the set of commutators $g^{-1}g^alpha$, where $gin G$, and by $[G,alpha]$ the subgroup generated by $I_G(alpha)$. We study the impact of $I_G(alph
a)$ on the structure of $[G,alpha]$. Suppose that each subgroup generated by a subset of $I_G(alpha)$ can be generated by at most $r$ elements. We show that the rank of $[G,alpha]$ is $(e,r)$-bounded. Along the way, we establish several results of independent interest. In particular, we prove that if every element of $I_G(alpha)$ has odd order, then $[G,alpha]$ has odd order too. Further, if every pair of elements from $I_G(alpha)$ generates a soluble, or nilpotent, subgroup, then $[G,alpha]$ is soluble, or respectively nilpotent.
A group $G$ is said to have restricted centralizers if for each $g$ in $G$ the centralizer $C_G(g)$ either is finite or has finite index in $G$. Shalev showed that a profinite group with restricted centralizers is virtually abelian. Given a set of pr
imes $pi$, we take interest in profinite groups with restricted centralizers of $pi$-elements. It is shown that such a profinite group has an open subgroup of the form $Ptimes Q$, where $P$ is an abelian pro-$pi$ subgroup and $Q$ is a pro-$pi$ subgroup. This significantly strengthens a result from our earlier paper.
Let $G$ be a finite soluble group and $G^{(k)}$ the $k$th term of the derived series of $G$. We prove that $G^{(k)}$ is nilpotent if and only if $|ab|=|a||b|$ for any $delta_k$-values $a,bin G$ of coprime orders. In the course of the proof we establi
sh the following result of independent interest: Let $P$ be a Sylow $p$-subgroup of $G$. Then $Pcap G^{(k)}$ is generated by $delta_k$-values contained in $P$. This is related to the so-called Focal Subgroup Theorem.
Given a group $G$, we write $x^G$ for the conjugacy class of $G$ containing the element $x$. A famous theorem of B. H. Neumann states that if $G$ is a group in which all conjugacy classes are finite with bounded size, then the derived group $G$ is fi
nite. We establish the following result. Let $n$ be a positive integer and $K$ a subgroup of a group $G$ such that $|x^G|leq n$ for each $xin K$. Let $H=langle K^Grangle$ be the normal closure of $K$. Then the order of the derived group $H$ is finite and $n$-bounded. Some corollaries of this result are also discussed.
The article deals with profinite groups in which centralizers are virtually procyclic. Suppose that G is a profinite group such that the centralizer of every nontrivial element is virtually torsion-free while the centralizer of every element of infin
ite order is virtually procyclic. We show that G is either virtually pro-p for some prime p or virtually torsion-free procyclic. The same conclusion holds for profinite groups in which the centralizer of every nontrivial element is virtually procyclic; moreover, if G is not pro-p, then G has finite rank.
Let $G$ be a finite group admitting a coprime automorphism $phi$ of order $n$. Denote by $G_{phi}$ the centralizer of $phi$ in $G$ and by $G_{-phi}$ the set ${ x^{-1}x^{phi}; xin G}$. We prove the following results. 1. If every element from $G_{ph
i}cup G_{-phi}$ is contained in a $phi$-invariant subgroup of exponent dividing $e$, then the exponent of $G$ is $(e,n)$-bounded. 2. Suppose that $G_{phi}$ is nilpotent of class $c$. If $x^{e}=1$ for each $x in G_{-phi}$ and any two elements of $G_{-phi}$ are contained in a $phi$-invariant soluble subgroup of derived length $d$, then the exponent of $[G,phi]$ is bounded in terms of $c,d,e,n$.
For an element $g$ of a group $G$, an Engel sink is a subset $mathcal{E}(g)$ such that for every $ xin G $ all sufficiently long commutators $ [x,g,g,ldots,g] $ belong to $mathcal{E}(g)$. We conjecture that if $G$ is a profinite group in which every
element admits a sink that is a procyclic subgroup, then $G$ is procyclic-by-(locally nilpotent). We prove the conjecture in two cases -- when $G$ is a finite group, or a soluble pro-$p$ group.
Let $G$ be a finite group of odd order admitting an involutory automorphism $phi$. We obtain two results bounding the exponent of $[G,phi]$. Denote by $G_{-phi}$ the set ${[g,phi],vert, gin G}$ and by $G_{phi}$ the centralizer of $phi$, that is, the
subgroup of fixed points of $phi$. The obtained results are as follows.1. Assume that the subgroup $langle x,yrangle$ has derived length at most $d$ and $x^e=1$ for every $x,yin G_{-phi}$. Suppose that $G_phi$ is nilpotent of class $c$. Then the exponent of $[G,phi]$ is $(c,d,e)$-bounded.2. Assume that $G_phi$ has rank $r$ and $x^e=1$ for each $xin G_{-phi}$. Then the exponent of $[G,phi]$ is $(e,r)$-bounded.
The article deals with profinite groups in which the centralizers are pronilpotent (CN-groups). It is shown that such groups are virtually pronilpotent. More precisely, let G be a profinite CN-group, and let F be the maximal normal pronilpotent subgr
oup of G. It is shown that F is open and the structure of the finite quotient G/F is described in detail.
For an element $g$ of a group $G$, an Engel sink is a subset $mathscr{E}(g)$ such that for every $ xin G $ all sufficiently long commutators $ [x,g,g,ldots,g] $ belong to $mathscr{E}(g)$. Let $q$ be a prime, let $m$ be a positive integer and $A$ an e
lementary abelian group of order $q^2$ acting coprimely on a finite group $G$. We show that if for each nontrivial element $a$ in $ A$ and every element $gin C_{G}(a)$ the cardinality of the smallest Engel sink $mathscr{E}(g)$ is at most $m$, then the order of $gamma_infty(G)$ is bounded in terms of $m$ only. Moreover we prove that if for each $ain Asetminus {1}$ and every element $gin C_{G}(a)$, the smallest Engel sink $mathscr{E}(g)$ generates a subgroup of rank at most $m$, then the rank of $gamma_infty(G)$ is bounded in terms of $m$ and $q$ only.
