Groups with anticentral elements

Abstract

We study finite groups $G$ with elements $g$ such that $\lvert \mathbf{C}_G(g)\rvert = \lvert G:G' \rvert$. (Such elements generalize fixed-point-free automorphisms of finite groups.) We show that these groups have a unique conjugacy class of nilpotent supplements for the commutator subgroup and, using the classification of finite simple groups, that these groups are solvable.