Groups with subnormal subgroups of bounded defect (Q1090410)

Let \({\mathcal B}_ n\) be the class of groups in which every subnormal subgroup has defect at most n, and let \({\mathcal B}=\cup^{\infty}_{n=1}{\mathcal B}_ n\). The soluble groups in \({\mathcal B}_ 1\) are metabelian but \textit{D. J. S. Robinson} [Proc. Lond. Math. Soc., III. Ser. 17, 257-270 (1967; Zbl 0166.016)] has shown that there is no bound on the derived length of soluble groups in \({\mathcal B}_ 2\). The author has shown [Arch. Math. 46, 1-7 (1986; Zbl 0571.20021)] that periodic soluble groups in \({\mathcal B}_ 2\) have bounded derived length and that a soluble p-group in \({\mathcal B}_ 2\) has derived length at most 4. The author proves (Theorem 1) that for every prime p and every positive integer d, there exists a soluble p-group in \({\mathcal B}_ 4\) with derived length exactly d. The construction involves wreath products and divisible abelian p-groups and leads to other interesting results.