Finite \(p\)-groups all of whose \(\mathscr{A}_2\)-subgroups are generated by two elements (Q2218674)

Let \(p\) be a prime number and let \(G\) be a nonabelian \(p\)-group. If \(t>0\) is an integer, then \(G\) is an \(\mathcal{A}_t\)-group if the largest index of a nonabelian subgroup in \(G\) is \(p^{t-1}\). For example, the family of \(\mathcal{A}_1\)-groups coincides with that of minimal nonabelian \(p\)-groups and, up to isomorphism, \(\mathcal{A}_1, \mathcal{A}_2, \mathcal{A}_3\)-groups are classified. As every nonabelian \(p\)-group is an \(\mathcal{A}_t\)-group for some \(t\), one could ask what properties of the \(\mathcal{A}_t\)-subgroups of \(G\) are reflected in the structure of \(G\). In [\textit{Y. Berkovich} and \textit{Q. Zhang}, J. Algebra Appl. 13, No. 2, Article ID 1350095, 26 p. (2014; Zbl 1294.20018)], the authors prove that, if all \(\mathcal{A}_2\)-subgroups of \(G\) are metacyclic, then so is \(G\). In this paper, the authors show that, replacing ``metacyclic'' with ``\(2\)-generated'' yields an analogous statement, cf.\ the more general Theorem 3.2. The last theorem finds a direct application in the following. Let \(\mathcal{P}_2\) denote the family of nonabelian \(p\)-groups in which every nonabelian proper subgroup can be generated by \(2\) elements. The isomorphism classes of such groups are classified in [\textit{M. Xu} et al., J. Algebra 319, No. 9, 3603--3620 (2008; Zbl 1165.20015)] and, in this paper, \(\mathcal{P}_2\) is compared to the class \(\mathcal{P}_1\) of all \(p\)-groups possessing at least two \(\mathcal{A}_1\)-subgroups and such that the intersection of any two such subgroups equals the intersection of all \(\mathcal{A}_1\)-subgroups. The authors show that \(\mathcal{P}_1\subseteq \mathcal{P}_2\), cf.\ Theorem 3.3, and combine structural observations to the classification of \(\mathcal{P}_2\)-groups to describe the elements of \(\mathcal{P}_1\), cf.\ Theorem 4.8.