Lawlessness and rank restrictions in certain finitary groups (Q4536042)

Let \(V\) be a vector space over the division ring \(D\), where \(D\) is locally finite-dimensional over some fixed (and not necessarily central) subfield of \(D\). Suppose \(G\) is a finitary group over \(V\); that is, suppose \(G\) is a subgroup of \(\text{GL}(V)\) with \(\dim_DV(g-1)\) finite for all \(g\) in \(G\). The author proves the following two results. (1) If \(G \) has finite Prüfer rank, then: (a) \(G\) is locally-soluble by locally-finite, (b) if \(\text{char }D>0\), then \(G\) is Abelian by locally-finite and (c) if \(G\) is irreducible, then \(\dim_DV\) is finite. (2) \(G\) generates the variety of all groups if either (a) \(G\) is NOT locally-soluble by locally-finite or (b) \(G\) is irreducible with \(\dim_DV\) infinite. Both (i) and (ii) extend results of V. P. Platonov for linear groups of finite degree over (commutative) fields. The analogue of (2) for finitary permutation groups is a theorem of P. M. Neumann. The author also proves the corresponding analogue of (1), namely that a transitive finitary permutation group of finite Prüfer rank is finite.