Classification of a class of torsion-free abelian groups (Q2630369)

A torsion-free abelian group \(X\) is in the class \(((2,2), p^2)\), where \(p\) is a prime, if it contains as a subgroup of index \(p^2\) a group of the form \(R_1\oplus R_2\oplus R_3\oplus R_4\), where \(R_i\) is finite rank homogeneous completely decomposable of type \(\tau_i\) satisfying \(\tau_1<\tau _2,\;\tau_3<\tau _4\) and \(\tau_i\) is incomparable with \(\tau_j\) for \(i\leq 2<j\). This appears to be a very special class of groups, but in fact it is one of the few classes of torsion-free finite rank abelian groups for which a classification exists. Furthermore, this classification plays a crucial role in the general theory of almost completely decomposable groups. The author shows that \(((2,2), p^2)\) groups have unique decomposition up to near-isomorphism into direct sums of one of four explicitly described indecomposable groups. The method involves the construction and reduction to the canonical form of certain integral matrices.