Lie centre-by-metabelian group algebras in even characteristic. I (Q1972371)

Let \(FG\) denote the group algebra of the arbitrary group \(G\) over the field \(F\). If \(X\) and \(Y\) are subsets of \(FG\), denote by \([X,Y]\) the \(F\)-linear span of all Lie products \([x,y]=xy-yx\) with \(x\in X\) and \(y\in Y\). Then the first and second derived Lie ideals of \(FG\) are given by \((FG)'=[FG,FG]\) and \((FG)''=[(FG)',(FG)']\). Furthermore, \(FG\) is Lie center-by-metabelian if and only if \([FG,(FG)'']=0\). There has apparently been some interest, in recent years, in characterizing those groups \(G\) with \(FG\) Lie center-by-metabelian. For example, it was known that \(G\) must be Abelian if \(\text{char }F=0\) or \(p>3\), and that \(|G'|=1\) or 3 if \(\text{char }F=3\). Thus, there remained only the characteristic 2 case, and this is handled in the two papers in this series [for part II see the following item Zbl 0947.16017]. Here there are a number of possibilities for the structure of \(G\), namely (i) \(|G'|=1\), 2 or 4, (ii) \(G'\) is central and elementary Abelian of order 8, (iii) \(G\) acts in a dihedral manner on \(G'\cong\mathbb{Z}_2\times\mathbb{Z}_4\) with \(C_G(G')'\) contained in the Frattini subgroup of \(G'\), or (iv) \(G\) has an Abelian subgroup of index 2. The proof of this result seems to require an enormous amount of special case analysis. Part I is devoted to groups of class 2 and to groups with commutator subgroup of exponent 2. Part II deals with the remaining possibilities and, at some point in the argument, uses a computer program implemented in GAP to classify certain structures when \(|G'|=8\) or 16.