On exact power margin groups (Q1199662)

\textit{Ph. Hall} [in J. Reine Angew. Math. 182, 156-157 (1940; Zbl 0023.29902)] introduced the notion of the marginal subgroup corresponding to a word. The authors here investigate the marginal subgroups corresponding to the word \(x^ n\); they call these subgroups \(n\)-power margins. A group is an exact power margin group if, for every natural number \(n\), the \(n\)-power margin coincides with the set of elements of order dividing \(n\). They show, among other things, that a finite exact power margin group is nilpotent, reducing their study to that of groups with this property which are \(p\)-groups. They investigate the properties of such groups and relate their results to work of \textit{M. Xu} [Bull. Aust. Math. Soc. 36, 1-10 (1987; Zbl 0607.20010)].