Groups with a conjugacy class that is the difference of two normal subgroups

Abstract

We consider finite groups having a conjugacy class that is the difference of two normal subgroups. That is, suppose $G$ is a group and $M$ and $N$ are normal subgroups so that $N < M$, and suppose that there is an element $g \in G$ so that the conjugacy class of $g$ is $M \setminus N$. We find a character-theoretic characterization of this condition, and we determine some structural properties of groups with such a conjugacy class. If we add the condition that $M/N$ is the unique minimal normal subgroup of $G/N$, then we obtain a generalization of a result by S.M. Gagola.