On the probability of generating free prosoluble groups of small rank. (Q2472729)

\textit{A. Mann} [Forum Math. 8, No. 4, 429-459 (1996; Zbl 0852.20019)] proved that a finitely generated prosoluble group \(G\) is positively finitely generated, i.e. the probability \(P(G,k)\) of generating \(G\) with \(k\) elements is positive for some natural number \(k\). The least \(k\) with \(P(G,k)>0\) is denoted by \(d_p(G)\). He also noticed that if \(G\) is \(d\)-generated, then \(d_p(G)\) is usual larger than \(d\) but is bounded by a linear function of \(d\). The author of this paper finds the best linear bound for \(d_p(G)\) in terms of \(d\), computing the exact value of \(d_p(F_d)\) when \(F_d\) is the free prosoluble group of rank \(d\). It was already noticed by Mann that \(d_p(F_1)=2\). The main result of the paper is that if \(d\geq 2\), then \(d_p(F_d)=\lceil cd-c\rceil+1\) where \(c-1=\log_9 48+\frac 13\log_9 24\sim 3,243\) is known as the Pálfy-Wolf constant. This result was proved [in \textit{A. Lucchini, F. Menegazzo, M. Morigi}, Isr. J. Math. 155, 93-115 (2006; Zbl 1158.20010)] for \(d\geq 10\); the case \(2\leq d \leq 9\) requires a more careful analysis, which is completed in this paper. Another invariant appears naturally in this context. A finitely generated prosoluble group has maximal subgroup growth, i.e. there exists a real number \(s\) such that for each \(n\in\mathbb{N}\) the number \(m_n(G)\) of maximal subgroups of \(G\) of index \(n\) is at most \(n^s\). The degree of maximal subgroup growth is defined as \(s(G)=\inf\{s\mid m_n(G)\leq Cn^s\text{ for some }C\}\). The author proves that if \(d\geq 2\) then \(s(F)=cd-c+1\).