On periodic groups with prescribed orders of elements. (Q1042870)

The spectrum \(\varpi(G)\) of a periodic group \(G\) is the set of the orders of elements of \(G\). The paper under review is a survey on some results and open questions concerning the structure of groups with prescribed spectrum. It is a well-known fact that if \(\varpi(G)=\{1,2\}\) then \(G\) is an elementary Abelian \(2\)-group and if \(\varpi(G)=\{1,3\}\) then \(G\) is nilpotent of class at most \(3\). On the other hand if \(\varpi(G)=\{1,p\}\) with \(p\) a sufficiently large prime number, then \(G\) can be not locally finite [\textit{P. S. Novikov} and \textit{S. I. Adyan}, Math. USSR, Izv. 2 (1968), 209-236, 241-480, 665-685 (1969); translation from Izv. Akad. Nauk SSSR, Ser. Mat. 32, 212-244, 251-524, 709-731 (1968; Zbl 0194.03301)]. The groups \(G\) with \(\varpi(G)=\{1,2,3\}\) were studied by \textit{B. H. Neumann} [J. Lond. Math. Soc. 12, 195-198 (1937; Zbl 0016.39303)], in particular they are metabelian and hence locally finite. \textit{I. N. Sanov} [Leningr. Gos. Univ., Uch. Zap., Ser. Mat. Nauk 10(55), 166-170 (1940; Zbl 0061.02506)] proved the local finiteness of groups \(G\) such that \(\varpi(G)\subseteq\{1,2,3,4\}\). \textit{M. F. Newman} [in Math. Sci. 4, 149-157 (1979; Zbl 0654.20038)] described the structure of groups \(G\) such that \(\varpi(G)=\{1,2,5\}\), \textit{N. D. Gupta} and \textit{V. D. Mazurov} [Bull. Aust. Math. Soc. 60, No. 2, 197-205 (1999; Zbl 0939.20043)] obtained similar results for groups \(G\) with \(\varpi(G)=\{1,2,4,5\}\) or \(\varpi(G)=\{1,3,5\}\). Later it was proved by \textit{E. Jabara} [J. Aust. Math. Soc. 77, No. 3, 297-304 (2004; Zbl 1106.20031)] that in the above-mentioned cases \(G\) is locally finite. The main open problem is hence: ``For which \(\varpi\subseteq\mathbb{N}\) is every group \(G\) with \(\varpi(G)=\varpi\) locally finite?'' In this paper an outline of a proof of the following new interesting result is given: if \(\varpi(G)=\{1,2,3,4,8\}\) then \(G\) is locally finite.