Spherical $p$-group complexes arising from finite groups of Lie type

Abstract: We show that the $p$-group complex of a finite group $G$ is homotopy equivalent to a wedge of spheres of dimension at most $n$ if $G$ contains a self-centralising normal subgroup $H$ which is isomorphic to a group of Lie type and Lie rank $n$ in characteristic $p$. If in addition every order-$p$ element of $G$ induces an inner or field automorphism on $H$, the $p$-group complex of $G$ is $G$-homotopy equivalent to a spherical complex obtained from the Tits building of $H$. We also prove that the reduced Euler characteristic of the $p$-group complex of a finite group $G$ is non-zero if $G$ has trivial $p$-core and $H$ is a self-centralising normal subgroup of $G$ which is a group of Lie type (in any characteristic), except possibly when $p=2$ and $H=A_n(4^a)$ ($n\geq 2$) or $E_6(4^a)$. In particular, we conclude that the Euler characteristic of the $p$-group complex of an almost simple group does not vanish for $p\geq 7$.