Nilpotent and polycyclic-by-finite maximal subgroups of skew linear groups. (Q397852)

Let \(D\) be an infinite division ring and \(n\) a positive integer such that if \(n>1\) then the centre of \(D\) contains at least five elements. The authors' main two results are the following. If \(M\) is a nilpotent maximal subgroup of a subnormal subgroup of the full matrix group \(\text{GL}(n,D)\) over \(D\), then \(M\) is Abelian. If \(M\) is a maximal subgroup of \(\text{GL}(n,D)\), then \(M\) cannot be polycyclic-by-finite. In connection with the first of these results, the fact that nilpotent maximal subgroups of \(\text{GL}(n,D)\) are Abelian is due to \textit{R. Ebrahimian} [J. Algebra 280, No. 1, 244-248 (2004; Zbl 1073.20041)]. In fact maximal subgroups of \(\text{GL}(n,D)\) have been studied in a number of recent papers, some half a dozen of which are listed in the references of this paper. In connection with the second of their results, a note at the very end of this paper indicates that polycyclic-by-finite can be replaced by finitely generated soluble-by-finite.