No label defined (Q4543602)

The paper under review collects the notes of a course the author gave at the XVI Escola de Álgebra in Brasilia in July 2000. The aim of the course was to give an introduction ``to the beautiful theory of finite \(p\)-groups, with special emphasis on two important families: those of regular \(p\)-groups and of \(p\)-groups of maximal class.'' (The author and his school have given important contributions to the study of the degree of commutativity of \(p\)-groups of maximal class; see for instance [J. Algebra 174, No. 2, 523-530 (1995; Zbl 0835.20030)].) The course was aimed at graduate students with some knowledge of group theory. The material is divided in five chapters, with exercises at the end of each one, and a section on open problems at the end. This well-crafted survey is very much to be recommended as an introduction to recent research in the theory of finite \(p\)-groups. (This could be complemented with the similarly aimed book by \textit{S. McKay} [Finite \(p\)-groups. (Queen Mary Maths Notes. 18. London: University of London, Queen Mary, School of Mathematical Sciences) (2000; Zbl 0977.20011)].) With the solid background provided by these works, the reader may then wish to move to the books of \textit{J. D. Dixon, M. P. F. du Sautoy, A. Mann} and \textit{D. Segal} [Analytic pro-\(p\) groups. Revised and enlarged by Marcus du Sautoy and Dan Segal. 2nd ed. (Cambridge Studies in Advanced Mathematics. 61. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press) (1999; Zbl 0934.20001)] and \textit{C.~R.~Leedham-Green} and \textit{S.~McKay} [The structure of groups of prime power order (London Mathematical Society Monographs. New Series. 27. Oxford: Oxford University Press) (2002; Zbl 1008.20001)].