On the number of conjugacy classes in a finite p-group (Q5903658)

Let G be a finite p-group of order p \(m=p^{2n+e}\), with n a non- negative integer, p a prime number, and \(e=0\) or 1, and let r(G) be the number of conjugacy classes of elements of G. Then the following equality, due to P. Hall, holds: \(r(G)=(p\) \(2-1)n+p\) \(e+k.(p\) 2-1)(p-1) for some non-negative integer k. The aim of this note is to analyze the number r(G)-((p \(2-1)n+p\) e) in terms of the normal structure of G. The following result is proved: Theorem. Let \(N_ t<N_{t-1}<...<N_ 1<N_ 0\) be a series of normal subgroups of G. Then the following assertions hold: 1) If \(| Z(N_ 0/N_ i)| /p| G/N_ 0| =p^{2n_ i+e_ i}\) with \(e_ i=0\) or 1 and \(n_ i\geq 0\) for all \(i=1,...,t\), then there exists a non-negative integer \(k_ 1\) such that \[ r(G)=n(p^ 2-1)+p\quad e+\sum ^{t}_{i=1}((| Z(N_ 0/N_ i)| /p| G/N_ 0|)-p^{e\quad _ i})(p-1)+k_ 1\cdot (p^ 2-1)(p-1). \] 2) Set \(I=\{i|\) \(| Z(N_ i/N_{i+1})| /p| G/N_ i| =p^{2n'_ i+e'_ i}\) with \(e'_ i=0\) or 1 and \(n'_ i\geq 0\}\), then there exists a non-negative integer \(k_ 2\) such that \[ r(G)=(p^ 2-1)n+p\quad e+\sum _{i\in I}((| Z(N_ i/N_{i+1})| /p| G/N_ i|)-p^{\quad e'_ i})(p-1)+k_ 2\cdot (p^ 2-1)(p-1). \] Evidently, the above equalities improve P. Hall's equality. Moreover, choosing some particular series of G, we find interrelations between the number r(G) and other invariants of G relative to the upper and lower central series of G and the derived series of G. Finally, we analyse the number r(G), when G has maximum nilpotent class, by using well-known results of N. Blackburn, R. Shepherd, C. R. Leedham- Green and Susan McKay about the degree of commutativity of G.