On 2-groups with finite subgroups of rank 2 (Q311260)

The rank \(r\) of a group \(G\) is the minimal number such that \(G\) and any subgroup of \(G\) has a system of generators of at most \(r\) elements. If no such finite number exists, then the rank of the group is said to be infinite. For every prime \(p\), the Prüfer group \(C_{p^{\infty}}\) has infinite rank, but all its proper (finite) subgroups are cyclic, and hence of rank \(1\). The paper under review is devoted to a complete classification of \(2\)-groups whose finite groups have rank less or equal to \(2\). As a consequence of the main result (Theorem 3), it is proved that such a group is finite or infinite and locally finite with an abelian subgroup of index at most \(2\). As expected, the group \(C_{2^{\infty}}\) plays an essential role in the paper.