No label defined (Q4240293)

Let \(G\) be an infinite \(p\)-group with a finite set of generators \(A\). The growth function \(f(r)\) of (the orders of) finite subgroups of \(G\) is defined as the maximal order of a finite subgroup contained in the ball of radius \(r\) with respect to \(A\). For two functions \(f\) and \(g\) by definition \(f\preceq g\) if there are constants \(C\) and \(c\) such that \(f(r)\leq Cg(cr)\) for all \(r\), and \(f\) is said to be equivalent to \(g\) if \(f\preceq g\) and \(g\preceq f\). The equivalence class of the growth function of finite subgroups does not depend on the choice of the generating set and is invariant under passage to subgroups of finite index. This growth is at most exponential, since the growth of balls is. Theorem~1: Let \(f\colon\mathbb{N}\to\mathbb{N}\setminus\{0\}\) be an arbitrary non-decreasing function such that \(f(r)\leq a^r\) for all \(r\) for some \(a>1\). Then for any prime \(p\geq 3\) there exists a \(2\)-generated \(p\)-group \(G_f\) of finite exponent with growth of finite subgroups equivalent to \(f\). By the Novikov-Adyan theorem [see \textit{S. I. Adyan}, The Burnside problem and identities in groups (1979; Zbl 0417.20001)], for any sufficiently large odd exponent \(n\) all finite subgroups of the free Burnside group \(B(m,n)\) have order \(\leq n\). On the other hand, as was known to O.~Yu.~Shmidt, any infinite \(2\)-group contains finite subgroups of unbounded orders. An effectivization of Shmidt's argument shows that the growth of finite subgroups in an infinite \(2\)-group cannot be arbitrarily slow, but even for groups of bounded exponent it produces a rather weak lower bound like \(\exp\sqrt{\log r}\). A~much better lower bound for the growth of finite subgroups of an infinite finitely generated group of exponent \(2^k\) is given by Theorem~2; in particular it is at least \(\sqrt{[k]r}/2\), and this growth function \(f(r)\) cannot satisfy any relation of the form \(f(r)=o(\Phi(r))\) (as \(r\to\infty\)), where \(\Phi(x)=2^{\sqrt{2\log_2x}}\). Infinite finitely generated groups of exponents \(2^k\) were constructed by \textit{S.~V.~Ivanov} for \(k\geq 48\) [in Int. J. Algebra Comput. 4, No. 1-2, 1-308 (1994; Zbl 0822.20044)] and by \textit{I.~G.~Lysenok} for \(k\geq 13\) [in Izv. Ross. Akad. Nauk, Ser. Mat. 60, No. 3, 3-224 (1996; Zbl 0926.20023)]. Based on the description of finite subgroups in these groups from Ivanov's paper, Theorem~3 gives bounds for the growth of finite subgroups in such groups; in particular, \(f(r)\leq r^{(k+1)/(k+\log_2 0.44)}\) for free groups of exponent \(2^k\) for \(k\geq 48\), and there is no unbounded function \(g\) on \(\mathbb{N}\) such that \(g\preceq f\) for the growth function of finite subgroups \(f\) of every infinite finitely generated \(2\)-group. The gap between the upper and lower bounds raises the question which functions can be realized, in particular, for \(2\)-groups of bounded exponent. Theorem~4 solves this question in the positive for any at most exponential function \(f\) such that for some \(\epsilon>0\) the ratio \(f(r)r^{-1-\epsilon}\) increases when \(r\to\infty\). Theorem~5 refines some results on the structure of certain subgroups of the free Burnside group of exponent \(\geq 2^{48}\) divisible by \(2^9\) from Ivanov's paper cited above. The proofs of Theorems~2 and 3 involve the growth function \(h(r)\) of element orders defined as the maximum of the orders of elements in the ball of radius \(r\). R.~I.~Grigorchuk studied groups with polynomial growth of element orders. By a theorem of E.~I.~Zelmanov the growth of elements in a residually finite \(p\)-group cannot be arbitrary slow; A.~V.~Rozhkov constructs residually finite \(p\)-groups whose growth of element orders is slower than any multiple logarithm. By contrast, Theorem~6 states that any non-decreasing function on \(\mathbb{N}\) can be realized (up to equivalence) as the growth function of element orders of a \(2\)-generated \(p\)-group, for any prime \(p\). For the entire collection see [Zbl 0908.00018].