Finite \(p\)-central groups of height \(k\). (Q532580)

For a prime \(p\), a finite group \(G\) is called \(p\)-central if all its elements of order \(p\) are central. Finite \(p\)-central \(p\)-groups are in some respect dual to powerful \(p\)-groups (for \(p\) odd; for \(p=2\) the definition must be modified to include elements of order \(4\), ``dually'' to the definition of powerful \(2\)-groups). The authors study the following generalization of \(p\)-central groups: a finite group \(G\) is called \(p^i\)-central of height \(k\) if all elements of order dividing \(p^i\) are contained in the \(k\)-th term of the upper central series. Several structure and embedding theorems are proved for relatively small values of \(i\) or \(k\). For odd \(p\), a finite group \(G\) that is \(p\)-central of any height \(k\) has a normal \(p\)-complement (Theorem A). If \(P\) is a \(p^i\)-central pro-\(p\)-group of height \(k\leq p-2\) (or \(k=p-1\) for \(i\geq 2\)) such that the torsion elements of \(P\) form a finite \(p\)-group, then, for all \(j\), \(\Omega_j(P)\) consists of elements of order dividing \(p^j\) and \(P/\Omega_j(P)\) is again a \(p^i\)-central pro-\(p\)-group of height \(k\). (Theorem B). If \(P\) is a \(p^i\)-central \(p\)-group of height \(k\leq p-2\) (or \(k=p-1\) for \(i\geq 2\)), then \(|P:P^p|\leq |\Omega_1(P)|\) (Theorem C). Let \(p\) be odd and suppose that \(P\) is a finite \(p\)-central \(p\)-group of height \(p-1\) that is a Sylow \(p\)-subgroup of a finite group \(G\) such that \(N_G(P)\) is \(p\)-nilpotent; then \(G\) is \(p\)-nilpotent (Theorem D). Let \(p\) be odd and suppose that \(P\) is a finite \(p\)-central \(p\)-group of height \(p-2\) that is a Sylow \(p\)-subgroup of a finite \(p\)-soluble group \(G\); then \(G\) has \(p\)-length 1 (Theorem E).