Existentially closed locally finite p-groups (Q1079660)

This is the third in a series of three papers which have arisen out of the author's doctoral thesis submitted to the Albert-Ludwigs- Universität at Freiburg i. Br., Germany (the thesis is in German) [the first is Rend. Semin. Mat. Univ. Padova 75, 191-226 (1986; see the preceding review), the second is Commun. Algebra 13, 1991-2024 (1985; Zbl 0575.20029)]. An algebraic system A is existentially closed (e.c.) within some class \({\mathfrak X}\) if every finite set of equations and inequalities with coefficients in (the carrier of) A that can be solved in some algebraic system within \({\mathfrak X}\) containing A can be solved in A itself. This notion, applied especially to groups, was introduced under the name ''algebraically closed'' by \textit{W. R. Scott} [Proc. Am. Math. Soc. 2, 118-121 (1951; Zbl 0043.023)]. The three papers deal, in increasing order of specialisation, with e.c. groups in classes of locally \({\mathfrak X}\) groups, that is to say groups whose finitely generated subgroups belong to the class \({\mathfrak X}\), where \({\mathfrak X}\) is some class of groups closed with respect to forming subgroups and extensions and with one or other of some desirable properties, for example closure with respect to forming cartesian powers of finitely generated groups, or to forming direct powers of finitely generated groups, or to forming homomorphic images. In the first paper, the author deals with a fairly general situation, building on the ideas of \textit{Philip Hall} [J. Lond. Math. Soc. 34, 305- 319 (1959; Zbl 0088.023)], proving, for example, that such e.c. groups, if periodic, are verbally complete (that is to say, every element is a value of every non-trivial word); or again, if \({\mathfrak X}\) is closed under forming direct powers of finitely generated groups and if some groups in \({\mathfrak X}\) have elements of finite order, then the Baer radical of an e.c. \(L{\mathfrak X}\)-group is trivial; and also the Hirsch-Plotkin radical if at least two prime numbers occur among the orders of elements of groups in \({\mathfrak X}\). The method involves a new technique of embedding countable groups in unrestricted wreath products. In the second paper \(\{\) which has already been reviewed in greater detail; see this Zbl 0575.20029; the reverence [7] mentioned in that review is the first of the present trio\(\}\) the groups considered are locally finite, and more detailed results on the chief series of the e.c. groups under investigation are obtained. Here one of the tools is the permutational product of groups introduced by the reviewer [J. Aust. Math. Soc. 1, 299-310 (1960; Zbl 0095.017)]. The third paper further narrows down the class of groups considered; e.c. locally finite p-groups were first determined by \textit{B. J. Maier} [Arch. Math. 37, 113-128 (1981; Zbl 0474.20015)], who showed that the countable ones form a unique isomorphism class. The present author extends Maier's embedding theorem for amalgams of locally finite p-groups over a finite amalgamated subgroup from the countable case of the case of arbitrary cardinalities. There is a detailed examination of the normal subgroup structure, and of the automorphism groups of the groups considered.