On purifiable subgroups and the intersection problem (Q1314930)

\textit{L. Fuchs} posed the problem of characterizing the subgroups of arbitrary abelian groups which are intersections of finitely many pure subgroups [Infinite Abelian Groups, Vol. I (1970; Zbl 0209.055); Problem 13]. We show that this problem for purifiable subgroups of abelian \(p\)- groups can be reduced to the case where the subgroups are vertical. The result is as follows: Let \(A\) be a purifiable subgroup of an abelian \(p\)- group \(G\) and let \(A\) be \(m\)-vertical in \(G\) for some integer \(m>0\). Then \(A\) is an intersection of finitely many pure subgroups of \(G\) if and only if the following conditions hold: (1) \(p^ mG\cap A\) is an intersection of finitely many pure subgroups of \(p^ m G\). (2) There exists an integer \(t>0\) such that \(\text{Cov}_ 0(G,A)\geq t\text{Com}_ 0(G,A)\). We use this result to give a solution of this problem for subgroups of abelian \(p\)-groups in two special cases; namely when \(A\cap p^ m G[p]\) is dense in \(p^ m G\) for some integer \(m>0\) and when \(A\cap p^ m G\) is pure in \(p^ m G\) for some integer \(m>0\). Moreover, we obtain the following result: In an abelian \(p\)-group \(G\), every pure hull of a purifiable subgroup is a \(T\)-high subgroup in \(G\) for some subsocle \(T\) of \(G\).