Commutators and commutator subgroups of finite \(p\)-groups (Q2215788)

Let \(G\) be a finite group. Let \(K(G) = \{[g,h]\,\mid\, g, h \in G\}\) be the set of commutators of \(G\) and let \(G'=\mathrm{gr}(K(G))\) be the commutator subgroup of \(G\). There exist finite groups for which \(K(G)\neq G'\). As shown by \textit{R. M. Guralnick} [Rocky Mt. J. Math. 10, 651--654 (1980; Zbl 0423.20035)], the least order of such a group is equal to 96. Examples of groups \(G\) of order \(p^6\) with \(p\geq 3\) and groups of order \(2^7\) such that \(K(G)\neq G'\) were constructed by \textit{L.-C. Kappe} and \textit{R. F. Morse} [J. Group Theory 8, No. 4, 415--429 (2005; Zbl 1085.20015)], where the authors proved that \(K(G)=G'\) for all \(p\)-groups of order at most \(p^5\) and for all 2-groups of order at most \(2^6\). This article also provides an interesting and comprehensive survey of this topic. The natural problem arises to find the conditions which imply that either the set of commutators is equal to the commutator subgroup or unequal to it. In the paper under review, the authors give necessary and sufficient conditions that \(K(G)\neq G'\) for a \(p\)-group \(G\) with \( Z(G)\leq G'\) and \(G'\) of order \(p^4\) and exponent \(p\geq2\). The cases \(p=2\) and \(p\) odd are considered separately. The concept of isoclinism of groups was defined by \textit{P. Hall} [J. Reine Angew. Math. 182, 130--141 (1940; Zbl 0023.21001; JFM 66.0081.01)]. Hall found that if \(G\) is a finite \(p\)-group, then there exists a group \(H\) such that \(G\) and \(H\) are isoclinic and \(Z(H)\leq H'\). Such a group \(H\) is called a stem group in the isoclinism family of \(G\). The authors of this article prove that if the finite \(p\)-groups \(G\) and \(H\) are isoclinic and \(K(G)=G'\), then \(K(H)=H'\). In view of this, it is sufficient to consider a stem group from a given isoclinism family. The authors note that they used Magma and GAP for establishing their results for small primes, before writing final proofs.