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Burnside's theorem states that every finite group of order $p^a{q}^b$ is solvable, where $p,q$ are primes and $a,b$ are nonnegative integers. In particular, a nonabelian simple group cannot have order divisible by only one or two distinct primes.

Conjugation by $P$ partitions $H$ into orbits. Each non-singleton orbit has size divisible by $p$, by the orbit-stabilizer theorem. The singleton orbits are exactly $H\cap Z(P)$. Since $|H|$ is divisible by $p$, $|H\cap Z(P)|\equiv 0(\mathrm{mod}p)$. This set contains $1$, so $\boxed{|H\cap Z(P)|\ge p}$.

For the deduction we also give the representation-theoretic ingredient behind Burnside's theorem: a nonabelian finite simple group has no nontrivial conjugacy class of prime power size. Here is a proof, so no stronger theorem is being assumed without justification. Suppose $g\ne 1$ has class size $p^b$. For an irreducible character $\chi$ of degree $d$ coprime to $p$, the class sum acts as the scalar $p^b\chi (g)/d$, which is an algebraic integer: the class sum has an integer-entry matrix in the regular representation, which contains every irreducible representation, so this scalar is an eigenvalue of an integer-entry matrix. Also $\chi (g)$ is an algebraic integer. Bezout's identity then makes $\chi (g)/d$ an algebraic integer. All its algebraic conjugates have modulus at most $1$, because character values of a representation are sums of $d$ roots of unity. An algebraic integer with this property is zero or a root of unity: the monic polynomials of all its powers have uniformly bounded integer coefficients, so two powers must coincide unless it is zero.

Every nontrivial irreducible representation of a simple group is faithful. If $\chi (g)/d$ were a root of unity, equality in the triangle inequality would force its representing matrix to be scalar, hence $g$ central, impossible. Thus $\chi (g)=0$ whenever $p\nmid d$, except for the trivial character of a representation. Orthogonality of the identity column and the $g$ column in the character table now givesThis would make $1/p$ an algebraic integer, contradicting the fact that rational algebraic integers are integers. The same proof covers class size $1$ directly through triviality of the center.

If an abelian subgroup $A$ had index $p^a$, every $g\in A\setminus \{1\}$ would have $A\subseteq C_G(g)$, making its class size a divisor of $p^a$, a contradiction. Such a $g$ exists: if $A=1$, then $G$ is a nontrivial p-group, whose center is nontrivial by the first argument with $H=P$. Therefore a nonabelian simple group has no abelian subgroup of prime power index.

Multiplicativity of the determinant gives $\delta (gh)=\delta (g)\delta (h)$ and $\delta (1)=1$, so $\delta$ is a linear character. Its finite image is a cyclic group of roots of unity. If it contains $-1$, its order is $2m$ and the character of a representation ${\delta }^m$ maps onto $\{\pm 1\}$. The kernel of a group homomorphism is the preimage of its identity, so $\ker ({\delta }^m)$ is a normal subgroup of index $2$. The subgroup $\ker \delta$ itself need not have index $2$.

By Cauchy theorem for groups, a group $E$ of order $2k$ has an involution $g$. In the regular representation, left multiplication by $g$ is a permutation consisting of $k$ disjoint transpositions, so its determinant is $(-1{)}^k=-1$ when $k$ is odd. The preceding argument gives a normal subgroup of index two.

For a nonabelian simple group of order below $80$, Burnside's theorem requires at least three distinct prime factors. An odd order with three factors is at least $3\cdot 5\cdot 7=105$. An even order with exactly one factor of $2$ has a normal subgroup of index $2$. Thus its order must be divisible by $4$ and by at least two odd primes. Below $80$ the only possibility is $4\cdot 3\cdot 5=60$, since the next is $4\cdot 3\cdot 7=84$. Hence $\boxed{|H|=60}$.

A nonabelian simple group has no nonidentity conjugacy class of prime-power size. Coprime-degree irreducible characters vanish on such an element: the conjugacy-class sum makes the character-to-degree ratio an algebraic integer, and the Kronecker theorem on algebraic integers in the unit disk makes a nonzero ratio a root of unity, forcing a scalar in a faithful group representation. Column character orthogonality then makes $1/p$ an algebraic integer, impossible. This is the character-theoretic ingredient in Burnside's theorem.