Abelianization of the unit group of an integral group ring (Q1979486)

For a group \(A\), denote by \(Z(A)\), \(A'\) and \(\exp A\) the center, the derive subgroup, and the exponent of \(A\), respectively. When \(A\) is finitely generated abelian, denote by \(\mathrm{rank}(A)\) the torsion-free rank of \(A\). In the following, \(H\) and \(G\) are groups where \(G\) is finite with \(U=\mathrm{U}(\mathbb{Z}G)\), the unite group of the integer group ring \(\mathbb{Z}G\), and \(V\) the subgroup of \(U\) consisting of elements of augmentation \(1\). A classical theorem attributed to I. Schur asserts that if the center \(Z(H)\) has finite index in \(H\), then \(H\) has a finite commutator subgroup \(H'\). The main concerns in this article are the following variations of Schur's theorem for certain classes of groups: (1) Does \([H{:}{H'}]<\infty\) imply \(|Z(H)|<\infty\)? (2) Does \(|Z(H)|<\infty\) imply \([H{:}{H'}]<\infty\)? (R1) Is \(\mathrm{rank}V/{V'}=\mathrm{rank}Z(V)\)? (R2) Assume \(Z(V)\) is finite. Is \(V/V'\) also finite? (E1) Is \(\exp V/V'=\exp G/G'\)? (E2) Does \(\exp V/V'\) divide \(\exp G\)? First of all, examples are given so that properties (1) and/or (2) do not hold, as well as examples where (1) and/or (2) holds. For example, groups with an infinite simple derived subgroup satisfy (2). After studying the behavior of Bass and bicyclic units under the abelianization of \(V\), it is shown that if \(B_{1}\) is the subgroup of \(V\) generated by the Bass units and trivial units in \(V\), then \(\mathrm{rank}\varphi(B_{1})=\mathrm{rank}Z(V)\), and \(\exp\varphi(B_{1})\) divides \(\exp G\). Here, \(\varphi\) is the canonical group homomorphism from \(V\) to \(V/V'\). Then it is shown that if the subgroup \(B\) of \(V\) generated by \(G\) and the bicyclic and the Bass units of \(\mathbb{Z}G\) has finite index in \(V\), then (R1) holds. Moreover, the torsion-free contribution by \(B\) to \(V/V'\) is completely under control and that the torsion part satisfies (E2). Next, it is shown that (E1) holds for dihedral groups \(G\) of order \(2p\) with odd prime \(p\). Finally, it is shown that if \(G\) is a group of order at most \(15,\) then (R1) and (E1) hold for \(G\). While there are non-abelian groups of order \(16\) for which (R1) holds, there is a group of order \(16\) for which (R2), and hence also (R1), has negative answer.