On subnormal subgroups of the multiplicative group of a division ring. (Q1762781)

Let \(D\) be an associative division ring, \(D^*\) the multiplicative group of \(D\), and \(F\) the centre of \(D\). A subgroup \(S\) of \(D^*\) is said to be radical over \(F\), if for any \(x\in S\), there exists a positive integer \(n(x)\) such that \(x^{n(x)}\in F\). The paper under review deals with the problem of whether \(S\) is contained in \(F\), provided that it is subnormal in \(D^*\) and radical over \(F\). Its main result shows that the answer is affirmative, if some of the following two conditions is in force: (i) \(D\) is centrally finite, i.e. finite dimensional as an algebra over \(F\); (ii) the quotient group \(SF^*/F^*\) is locally finite (where \(F^*=F\cap D^*\)). This fact has earlier been established by \textit{I. N. Herstein} [see Isr. J. Math. 31, 180-188 (1978; Zbl 0394.16015)], under the hypothesis that \(D\) is centrally finite and \(S\) is normal in \(D^*\) and radical over \(F\). The question of whether Herstein's result retains validity, for an arbitrary \(D\), has been open since 1978.