Finite non-cyclic \(p\)-groups whose number of subgroups is minimal (Q2285058)

Let \(p\) be a prime. It is clear that among all finite \(p\)-groups of a given order \(p^n\), the elementary abelian group \(C_p^n\) has the most subgroups. \textit{H. Qu} [Isr. J. Math. 195, Part B, 773--781 (2013; Zbl 1285.20017), Theorem 1.4] and \textit{M. Tărnăuceanu} [J. Group Theory 22, No. 3, 505--514 (2019; Zbl 1441.20012), Theorem 1.1] identified the unique \(p\)-group of order \(p^n\) with the second-most subgroups: It is of the form \(G_p\times C_p^{n-3}\) where \(G_2:=\operatorname{D}_8\) and for odd \(p\), \(G_p\) is the unique group of order \(p^3\) and exponent \(p\). On the other hand, it is clear that the cyclic group \(C_{p^n}\) has the smallest number of subgroups among all groups of order \(p^n\). In this paper, the authors find those groups of order \(p^n\) that have the second-smallest number of subgroups, thus providing analogues of Qu's [loc. cit.] and Tărnăuceanu's [loc. cit.] results ``at the opposite end of the spectrum''. They show that unless \(p=2\) and \(n\leq 4\), there are exactly two groups of order \(p^n\) with the second-least subgroups among all groups of order \(p^n\), namely \(C_{p^{n-1}}\times C_p\) and \(M_{p^n}:=\langle x,y\mid x^{p^{n-1}}=y^p=1,x^y=x^{1+p^{n-2}}\rangle\). The proof proceeds roughly in the following steps: (1) Using \textit{A. Kulakoff}'s result [Math. Ann. 104, 778--793 (1931; Zbl 0001.38602), Satz 1] for \(p>2\) and Frobenius' generalization of Sylow's theorems paired with [\textit{Y. Berkovich}, Groups of prime power order. Vol. 1. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter (2008; Zbl 1168.20001), Proposition 1.3] for \(p=2\), one finds that a group \(G\) of order \(p^n\) with the second-least subgroups must have exactly \(p+1\) subgroups of order \(p^k\) for each \(k\in\{1,\ldots,n-1\}\). (2) In particular, since \(G\) has at least one normal subgroup of each given order, it follows that all non-normal subgroups of \(G\) with the same order are conjugate. Such groups are classified in a theorem of \textit{Y. Berkovich} and \textit{Z. Janko} [Groups of prime power order. Vol. 2. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter (2008; Zbl 1168.20002), Theorem 58.3]. (3) Excluding the nonabelian Dedekind groups for \(p=2\) and using a well-known formula for the number of subgroups of a given type in the abelian case, [\textit{L. M. Butler}, Proc. Am. Math. Soc. 101, 771--775 (1987; Zbl 0647.20053), Equation (1)], one obtains that \(G\) must indeed be isomorphic to one of \(C_{p^{n-1}}\times C_p\) or \(M_{p^n}\). (4) For the reverse implication, one can invoke a result of \textit{W. Lindenberg} [J. Reine Angew. Math. 241, 118--146 (1970; Zbl 0194.03703), Folgerung 3.4].