Nilpotence in finitary skew linear groups (Q1208202)

Let \(F\) be a field, \(D\) a division \(F\)-algebra and \(V\) a left vector space over \(D\). Denote by \(\text{FGL}(V)\) the subgroup of \(\text{Aut}_ D(V)\) consisting of all \(g\) such that \(V(g-1)\) has finite left dimension over \(D\). A subgroup of such a group \(\text{FGL}(V)\) is called a finitary skew linear group. In the present work the author develops the theory of various radicals of nilpotent type in finitary skew linear groups, and he thereby generalizes known results for linear groups. The main result (Corollary 1.3) is concerned with the situation when \(F\) is a perfect field and \(D\) is a locally finite-dimensional division \(F\)- algebra. It asserts that if \(G\) is a subgroup of \(\text{FGL}(V)\), then the following subgroups coincide: (a) the set of left Engel elements, the Hirsch-Plotkin radical, the Gruenberg radical, the hypercentral radical; (b) the set of bounded left Engel elements, the Baer radical and the Fitting subgroup. It also gives information about the sets of right Engel and bounded right Engel elements in relation to the hypercentre. Much of the paper depends on some new bounds for the central height of unipotent subgroups of right Engel elements of \(\text{GL}_ n (D)\). There is much more in this paper than can be described here.