Engel-like Identities Characterizing Finite Solvable Groups

MaRDI QIDQ6472644zbMATH OpenFDO

Authors Tatiana Bandman, Gert-Martin Greuel, Fritz Grunewald, Boris Kunyavskiĭ, Gerhard Pfister, Eugene Plotkin

Publication date 13 March 2003

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Software, source code, etc. for problems pertaining to algebraic geometry (14-04) Arithmetic problems in algebraic geometry; Diophantine geometry (14Gxx) General structure theorems for groups (20E34) Solvable groups, supersolvable groups (20F16)

Abstract: In the paper we characterize the class of finite solvable groups by two-variable identities in a way similar to the characterization of finite nilpotent groups by Engel identities. More precisely, a sequence of words $u_1,\mathrm{...},u_n,\mathrm{...}$ is called correct if $u_{k}equiv1$ in a group $G$ implies $u_{m}equiv1$ in a group $G$ for all $m>k$. We are looking for an explicit correct sequence of words $u_1(x,y),\mathrm{...},u_n(x,y),\mathrm{...}$ such that a group $G$ is solvable if and only if for some $n$ the word $u_n$ is an identity in $G$. Let $u_1=x^{-2}yminx$, and $u_{n+1}=[x{u}_{n}xmin,y{u}_{n}ymin]$. The main result states that a finite group $G$ is solvable if and only if for some $n$ the identity $u_n(x,y)equiv1$ holds in $G$. In the language of profinite groups this result implies that the provariety of prosolvable groups is determined by a single explicit proidentity in two variables. The proof of the main theorem relies on reduction to J.Thompson's list of minimal non-solvable simple groups, on extensive use of arithmetic geometry (Lang - Weil bounds, Deligne's machinery, estimates of Betti numbers, etc.) and on computer algebra and geometry (SINGULAR, MAGMA) .

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