Pro-\(p\) groups with linear subgroup growth. (Q1416684)

Let \(G\) be a group and for each natural number \(n\) let \(s_n(G)\) denote the number of subgroups of \(G\) of index at most \(n\). The study of subgroup growth, that is the asymptotic behaviour of the arithmetic function \(\mathbb{N}\to\mathbb{N}\cup\{\infty\}\), \(n\mapsto s_n(G)\), and in particular the link between growth type and algebraic properties of \(G\) has been an ongoing quest. For example it is known that a pro-\(p\) group has polynomial subgroup growth (i.e. there exists a real \(\alpha\) such that \(s_n(G)\leq n^\alpha\) for all \(n\)) if and only if it is \(p\)-adic analytic [\textit{J. D. Dixon, M. P. F. du Sautoy, A. Mann} and \textit{D. Segal}, Analytic pro-\(p\) groups, 2nd ed. CUP, Cambridge (1999; Zbl 0934.20001)]. In the article under review the author considers the structure of pro-\(p\) groups with (slow) polynomial subgroup growth, in particular he gives a complete description of pro-\(p\) groups with (at most) linear subgroup growth: such a group is either soluble of dimension at most 2 or commensurable to the group of reduced norm one elements of a central simple \(\mathbb{Q}_p\)-division algebra of index 2. This answers a question of \textit{A. Shalev} [in: New horizons in pro-\(p\) groups, M. du Sautoy (ed.) et al., Birkhäuser, Boston. Prog. Math. 184, 1-54 (2000; Zbl 0981.20020)]. The author also considers several related issues such as (i) the connection between the subgroup growth of a \(p\)-adic Lie group and the subalgebra growth of an associated Lie algebra and (ii) how the rate of subgroup growth changes under finite group extensions.