Finiteness conditions and a Frattini-like subgroup in locally nilpotent groups. (Q2467911)

Let \(H\) be a proper subgroup of a group \(G\). Denote by \(m(H)\) the least upper bound of the lengths of all ascending chains of subgroups between \(H\) and \(G\). We say that \(H\) is `major' if \(m(H)=m(U)\) for all \(U\) such that \(H\leq U<G\). Clearly every maximal subgroup \(M\) is major since \(m(M)=1\). On the other hand, the consideration of a quasicyclic group shows that the converse is not true. This type of subgroup was introduced by Tomkinson in 1975, who showed, among other results, that major subgroups always exist. For any group \(G\) denote by \(\mu(G)\) the intersection of all major subgroups of \(G\). Tomkinson showed that, under suitable conditions, some properties of \(G/\mu(G)\) can be carried to \(G\). In the article under review the author gives other theorems of this type. Precisely, he proves the following results: Theorem 1. Let \(G\) be a finite extension of a locally nilpotent group with finite Abelian subgroup rank. 1) If \(G/\mu(G)\) is a Chernikov group, then \(G\) is a Chernikov group. 2) If \(G/\mu(G)\) is minimax, then \(G\) is minimax. Theorem 2. Let \(G\) be a finite extension of a locally nilpotent group with min-\(\infty\)-\(n\) (max-\(\infty\)-\(n\)). If \(G/\mu(G)\) is a Chernikov group, then \(G\) is a Chernikov group. Recall that a group \(G\) is said to satisfy min-\(\infty\)-\(n\) if there are no infinite descending chains \(X_1>X_2>\cdots\) of normal subgroups of \(G\) such that all the indices \(|X_i:X_{i+1}|\) are infinite. In a similar manner is defined the condition max-\(\infty\)-\(n\).