On finite \(p\)-groups satisfying given laws (Q2329139)

\textit{G. Traustason} [J. Group Theory 8, No. 2, 203--221 (2005; Zbl 1108.20028)], extending results of \textit{J. R. J. Groves} [Bull. Aust. Math. Soc. 5, 391--410 (1971; Zbl 0217.07603); Bull. Aust. Math. Soc. 7, 437--441 (1972; Zbl 0241.20023); ibid. 7, 437--441 (1972; Zbl 0241.20023)], proved that a variety \(\mathcal{V}\) of groups does not contain the variety \(\mathcal{A} \mathcal{A}\) of metabelian groups if and only if there is a constant \(c\) such that the groups in \(\mathcal{V}\) that are residually finite \(p\)-groups, for every prime \(p\), are nilpotent of class bounded by \(c\); and a variety \(\mathcal{V}\) of groups does not contain the variety \(\mathcal{A}_{p} \mathcal{A}\) if and only if there are constants \(c, e\) such that every finitely generated, virtually soluble group in \(\mathcal{V}\) belongs to \(\mathcal{N}_{c} \mathcal{B}_{e}\). Here, \(\mathcal{A}\) is the variety of abelian groups, \(\mathcal{A}_{p}\) is the variety of elementary abelian \(p\)-groups, \(\mathcal{N}_{c}\) is the variety of groups that are nilpotent of class at most \(c\), and \(\mathcal{B}_{e}\) is the variety of groups of exponent dividing \(e\). In the first main result (Theorem 1.4) of the paper under review, the author proves that the following are equivalent for a variety \(\mathcal{V}\) of groups: (i) \(\mathcal{V}\) does not contain \(\mathcal{A}_{p} \mathcal{A}\); (ii) there is a constant \(c\), which depends on \(\mathcal{V}\), such that, for every prime \(p\), the nilpotence class of every finite powerful \(p\)-group in \(\mathcal{V}\) is bounded by \(c\); (iii) there is a constant \(c\), which depends on \(\mathcal{V}\) and \(p\), such that, for every prime \(p\), the nilpotence class of every finite PF \(p\)-group in \(\mathcal{V}\) is bounded by \(c\). Here, a finite \(p\)-groups is said to be PF if it has a potent filtration, that is, a central series \(G = G_{1} \ge G_{2} \ge\dots \ge 1\) such that \([G_{i}, {}_{p-1} G] \le G_{i+1}^{p}\) for all \(i\). The second main result (Theorem 1.5) states that the following are equivalent, for a variety \(\mathcal{V}\) of groups: (i) \(\mathcal{V}\) does not contain \(\mathcal{A}_{p} \mathcal{A}_{p}\), for every prime \(p\); (ii) for every prime \(p\), and positive integer \(r\), only finitely many finite \(p\)-groups of coclass \(r\) belong to \(\mathcal{V}\); (iii) every pro-\(p\) group of finite coclass in \(\mathcal{V}\) is finite.