Group Theory – Frattini Subgroup of a Finite Group

finite-groupsgroup-theoryreference-request

I have been looking for information about the Frattini subgroup of a finite group. Almost all the books dealing with this topic discuss this subgroup for $p$-groups.

I am actually willing to discuss the following questions:

Let $G$ be a finite group. Is the Frattini subgroup of $G$ abelian?

Why is the order of the Frattini factor divisible by each prime divisor of $|G|$?

Best Answer

Here is a proof that, for a finite group $G$, $|G/\Phi(G)|$ is divisible by all primes $p$ dividing $|G|$. It uses the Schur-Zassenhaus Theorem. I don't know whether that can be avoided.

First note that each Sylow $p$-subgroup $P$ of $\Phi(G)$ is normal in $G$. (So, in particular, $\Phi(G)$ is nilpotent.) To see that, we have $G = \Phi(G)N_G(P)$ by the Frattini Argument, and then by the fact that $\Phi(G)$ consists of the non-generators of $G$, we have $G = N_G(P)$.

Now if there is a prime $p$ dividing $|G|$ but not dividing $|G/\Phi(G)|$, then $\Phi(G)$ contains a Sylow $p$-subgroup $P$ of $G$ and $P \unlhd G$. So, by the Schur-Zassenhaus Theorem, $P$ has a complement $H$ in $G$. Let $M$ be a maximal subgroup of $G$ containing $H$. Then $p$ divides $|G:M|$ and hence $p$ divides $|G/\Phi(G)|$, contradiction.

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