A note on groups with Hamiltonian quotients (Q1284620)

The norm \(k(G)\) of a group \(G\) is the intersection of the normalizers of all subgroups from \(G\). This is a very important characteristic subgroup of \(G\). Some properties of the norm have been investigated by R. Baer, E. Schenkman and others. If we define \(k_0(G)=1\), \(k_i(G)/k_{i-1}(G)=k(G/k_{i-1}(G))\) for \(i\geq 1\) and extend this definition transfinitely in the usual way we will have an ascending series of subgroups. It seems difficult to find non-Hamiltonian 2-groups having a Hamiltonian factor in this series. In the article under review the authors prove the following theorem giving an appropriate example. Let \(G\) be a 2-group with the following properties: (a) \(G/k(G)\) is Hamiltonian; (b) no proper section of \(G\) has property (a). Then \(G\) is of order \(2^7\) and, up to isomorphism, there is just one such group. As a corollary the authors point out the following statement. In a 2-group \(X\) suppose that \(k_2(X)=X\), then \(X/k(X)\) is Hamiltonian if and only if \(X\) has a section isomorphic to the group \(G\).