On the structure of groups whose exterior or tensor square is a \(p\)-group. (Q435953)

The present paper gives answer to a series of interesting questions on the theory of the nonabelian tensor squares. A classic result of \textit{G. J. Ellis} [J. Algebra 111, 203-205 (1987; Zbl 0626.20039)] shows that the nonabelian tensor square of a finite group is finite. What can we say on the converse? The answer is positive and proved in Theorem 3.1 of the present paper, under the assumption that the group is finitely generated (otherwise counterexamples may occur, see Example 3.2). The same result of Ellis allows us to deduce that the nonabelian exterior square of a finite group is finite. Again, what can we say on the converse? The answer is negative in general but positive under some natural assumptions, that is, most of the times. In fact we shall assume that certain sections of the group are finitely generated, otherwise counterexamples may occur. The details are illustrated in Theorems 3.5, 3.9, 3.10, 3.11, 3.12. The authors show also that all these interesting questions have similar answers when the adjective ``finite'' is replaced by the adjective ``\(p\)-group'' (see Theorems 2.3, 2.4, 2.6, 2.10, 2.11, 2.13). A ``leitmotiv'' of the arguments of the main proofs is the application of a result of Tahara (see Theorem 2.2) concerning the structure of the Schur multipliers. Tahara's Theorem appears in the context of the nonabelian tensor squares for the first time here and it seems to be a powerful tool for investigating nonabelian tensor squares.