Profinite groups in which many elements have prime power order (Q2197556): Difference between revisions

Attempts to understand to what extent a restriction on centralizes of a group \(G\) restricts the structure of \(G\) is a classical approach in group theory. For profinite groups this approach was initiated in [the author et al., Isr. J. Math. 230, No. 2, 831--854 (2019; Zbl 1482.20018)] and continued in [the author, Isr. J. Math. 235, No. 1, 325--347 (2020; Zbl 1443.20047)]. In this paper, the author continues this topic describing profinite groups that have pro-\(p\) and virtually pro-\(p\) centralizers. First, he combines his earlier results on profinite groups with pronilpotent centralizers with know results about a finite group with \(p\)-centralizers to deduce the following Theorem 1.1. Let \(G\) be a profinite group such that for each \(1\neq x\in G\) the centralizer \(C_G(x)\) is pro-\(q\) for some prime \(q\) (depending on \(x\)). Then \(G\) is virtually pro-\(p\) for some prime \(p\). If \(G\) is infinite and \(P\) is the maximal open normal pro-\(p\) subgroup in \(G\), then either \(G = P\) or one of the following occurs. (1) \(G\) is a profinite Frobenius group whose kernel is \(P\) and the complement is either cyclic of prime power order or a (generalized) quaternion group. (2) There is an odd prime \(q \neq p\) such that \(G/P\) is a Frobenius group with cyclic kernel of \(q\)-power order and cyclic complement of \(p\)-power order. In this case, \(G\) is a so-called 3-step group. (3) \(G/P\) is isomorphic to one of the four simple groups \(L_2(4)\), \(L_2(8)\), \(Sz(8)\), \(Sz(32)\) and \(P\) is (topologically) isomorphic to a Cartesian product of natural modules for \(G/P\). Then, the author studies profinite groups whose centralizers are virtually pro-\(p\) and proves the following theorems. Theorem 1.2. A profinite group \(G\) is virtually pro-\(p\) for some prime \(p\) if and only if for each nontrivial \(x\in G\) there is a prime \(q\) such that \(C_G(x)\) is virtually pro-\(q\). Theorem 1.3. Let \(G\) be a profinite group such that the centralizer \(C_G(x)\) of each non-torsion element is pro-\(q\) for some prime \(q\) . Then \(G\) is either torsion or virtually pro-\(p\) for some prime \(p\). Note that by the celebrated result of \textit{E. I. Zelmanov} [Isr. J. Math. 77, No. 1--2, 83--95 (1992; Zbl 0786.22008)] a torsion profinite group is locally finite, but it is still an open question whether it is of finite exponent.