On a conjecture by Haipeng Qu (Q2414567)

Let \(G\) be a finite \(p\)-group of order \(p^n\) and denote by \(s_k(G)\) the number of subgroups of order \(p^k\) of \(G\) for every \(k=0, 1,\ldots, n\). In [Isr. J. Math. 195, Part B, 773--781 (2013; Zbl 1285.20017)], \textit{H. Qu} demonstrated that if \(p\) is odd and \(G\) is non-elementary abelian, then \(s_k(G)\leq s_k(M_p \times C_p^{n-3})\) for all \(0\leq k\leq n\), where \[ M_p=\langle a, b\mid a^p=b^p=c^p=1, [a,b]=c, [c,a]=[c,b]=1\rangle \] is the non-abelian group of order \(p^3\) and exponent \(p\). Furthermore, he conjectured that the above inequalities should also hold for \(p=2\). The paper under review addresses the case \(p=2\). The author notes that there is no direct analogue of \(M_p\) for the case \(p=2\), since every group of exponent \(2\) is abelian. However, the dihedral group of order \(8\) is somehow close, as it is at least generated by elements of order \(2\). The author proves that the inequalities obtained by H. Qu [loc. cit.] also hold for \(p=2\) by replacing \(M_p\) with \(D_8\). Thus, the main result claims that if \(G\) is a finite non-elementary abelian \(2\)-group of order \(2^n\), where \(n\geq 3\), then \(s_k(G)\leq s_k(D_8 \times C_p^{n-3})\) for all \(0\leq k\leq n\). The author also provides a formula for the number of subgroups of an (almost) extraspecial \(2\)-group depending on the number of elementary abelian subgroups of possible orders.