Non-existence of perfect groups with order $180$

derived-subgroupfinite-groupsgroup-theorysylow-theory

A group $G$ is perfect when $G=G'$.

$\textbf{Question.}$ Prove that there are no perfect groups of order $180$.

$\textbf{My attempt.}$ I assumed there is such a $G$, so it is not solvable. I was trying to analyze the number of $5$-Sylow subgroups of $G$. If $n_5=1$, then there is a normal subgroup of order $5$ and the quotient has order $36$, so $G$ would be solvable. If $n_5=36$, then $P=N_G(P)$, so using Burnside's normal complement theorem, $G$ would be $5$-nilpotent and it would be possible to show also that $G$ is solvable. Now if $n_5=6$, I don't know how to proceed.

Best Answer

The image of the conjugation action on the six Sylow $5$-subgroups is a perfect subgroup of $A_6$ with order divisible by $30$. It can't be order $180$ because that would be a subgroup of index $2$ in $A_6$. It can't be order $30$ or $90$, because they have twice odd order and hence have subgroups of index $2$.

So the image has order $60$ and the kernel $K$ has order $3$. Since $G$ is perfect, we must have $K \le Z(G)$.

But now we can use 10.1.6 of Robinson's book. A Sylow $3$-subgroup $P$ of $G$ is abelian, and since $G$ is perfect the transfer homorphism $\tau:G \to P$ is the trival map, but then $C_P(N_G(P)) = 1$, contradicting $K \le C_P(N_G(P))$.