Elementary classes of groups. (Q1810163)

Let \(B\) be a class of groups. The elementary class with base \(B\) (denote it by \({\mathfrak E}(B)\)) is defined as the minimal class of groups containing \(B\) and closed with respect to the following four standard operations: (S) taking subgroups; (Q) taking quotient groups; (E) group extensions; (L) taking direct (inductive) limits. A class of groups \(C\) is external if, for any simultaneously S-closed and Q-closed class \(B\), \(C\cap B=\emptyset\) implies \(C\cap{\mathfrak E}(B)=\emptyset\). It is proved, that the following classes are external: (1) the class of finitely generated infinite periodic groups; (2) the class of nontrivial finitely generated divisible groups; (3) the class of finitely generated infinite simple groups; (4) the class of finitely generated infinite groups with finitely many conjugacy classes. Recall that the growth function \({\mathfrak S}^X_G\colon\mathbb{N}\to\mathbb{N}\) of a group \(G\) generated by a finite set \(X\) is defined by \[ {\mathfrak S}^X_G(n)=\text{card}\{g\in G:\|g\|_X\leq n\}, \] where \(\|g\|_X\) denotes the word length of \(g\). The exponential growth rate of \(G\) is \[ w(G,X)=\lim_{n\to\infty}\root n\of{{\mathfrak S}_G^X(n)}. \] A group \(G\) is said to be of exponential growth (of subexponential growth) if \(w(G,X)>1\) (if \(w(G,X)=1\)). If there exist constants \(C,d>0\) such that \({\mathfrak S}^X_G(n)\leq Cn^d\) for all \(n\in\mathbb{N}\), then \(G\) is of polynomial growth. The problem of the existence of a finitely generated group of intermediate (i.e., subexponential, but not polynomial) growth is known as the Milnor problem. Grigorchuk found the first examples of finitely generated groups of intermediate growth [see \textit{R. I. Grigorchuk}, Dokl. Akad. Nauk SSSR 271, 30-33 (1983; Zbl 0547.20025)]. Theorem 2.2 of this paper gives a negative answer to Milnor's question for elementary classes. It is proved, that the class of finitely generated groups of intermediate growth is external. Moreover some applications to the theory of elementary amenable groups and a relation to the Kurosh-Chernikov classes of generalized solvable groups are considered.