On \(w\)-maximal groups. (Q536169)

\textit{J. G. Thompson} observed that if \(G\) is a finite \(p\)-group such that \(|G:G'|>|H:H'|\) for all proper subgroups \(H\) of \(G\), then the nilpotency class of \(G\) is at most 2 [J. Algebra 13, 149-151 (1969; Zbl 0194.03902)]. The aim of the paper is to explore this and other related results (for example concerning \(d\)-maximal \(p\)-groups) in a more general framework, introducing and studying the new concept of a \(w\)-maximal group. Let \(w\) be a word; the verbal subgroup \(w(G)\) of a group \(G\) is the subgroup generated by the set of all \(w\)-values in \(G\). A group \(G\) is called \(w\)-maximal if \(|G:w(G)|>|H:w(H)|\) for all proper subgroups \(H\) of \(G\). The groups involved in the results mentioned above are instances of \(w\)-maximal groups for \(w=[x,y]\) and \(w=x^p[y_1,\dots,y_{p-1}]\). The authors investigate \(w\)-maximal groups for more general values of \(w\) and this investigation sheds more light on existing theorems and leads to a number of new results. Indeed Thompson's original theorem generalizes to \(w\)-maximal groups for many words \(w\). For example if \(G\) is a \(w\)-maximal finite \(p\)-group and \([w(N),G]\leq [N,w(G)][w(G),G]^p[w(G),G,G]\) for every normal subgroup \(N\) of \(G,\) then the verbal subgroup \(w(G)\) is central in \(G\). The authors also include the outcomes of their study of hereditarily \(w\)-maximal groups, i.e. groups with the properties that all their subgroups are \(w\)-maximal and suggest a range of questions concerning the structure of \(w\)-maximal and hereditary \(w\)-maximal groups.