Groups with 2-generated Sylow subgroups and their character tables

Abstract

Let G be a finite group with Sylow p-subgroup P. We show that the character table of G determines whether P has maximal nilpotency class and whether P is a minimal non-abelian group. The latter result is obtained from a precise classification of the corresponding groups G in terms of their composition factors. For p-constrained groups G we prove further that the character table determines whether P can be generated by two elements.