Variants of theorems of Baer and Hall on finite-by-hypercentral groups. (Q5964502)

A well-known theorem, attributed to R. Baer, asserts that if \(|G/Z_m(G)|=t\) is finite then \(\gamma_{m+1}(G)\) is of class at most \(m\) and \(|\gamma_{m+1}(G)|\leq\beta(m,t)\). Here \(Z_m(G)\) is the \(m\)th term of the upper central series, \(\gamma_{m+1}(G)\) is the corresponding term in the lower central series and \(\beta\) is a function of \(m,t\) only. The authors give a nice example of a group \(G\) to show that this bound cannot be made dependent on \(t\) only but note that \(|\gamma_{2m}(G)|\) can be bounded by a function of \(t\) only. On the other hand, P. Hall showed that if \(|\gamma_{m+1}(G)|\leq d\) then \(|G/Z_{2m}(G)|\leq h(m,d)=d^{(\log_2d)^{2m}+\log_2d}\) and it is proved by \textit{G. A. Fernández-Alcober} and \textit{M. Morigi} [Proc. Am. Math. Soc. 137, No. 2, 425-429 (2009; Zbl 1165.20026)] that indeed \(|G/Z_{2m}|\leq g(d)\), for some function of \(d\) only. In the paper under review it is determined that \(g(d)\leq d^{1+\log_2 d}+h(\log_2d,d)\). This is a corollary of Theorem A (stated below). It is shown by \textit{M. De Falco, F. de Giovanni, F. C. Musella}, and \textit{Y. P. Sysak} [Proc. Am. Math. Soc. 139, No. 2, 385-389 (2011; Zbl 1228.20023)] that if \(Z_\infty(G)\) is the (upper) hypercentre of \(G\) then \(|G/Z_\infty(G)|=t\) is finite if and only if there a normal subgroup \(L\) of order \(d\) such that \(G/L\) is hypercentral. In \textit{L. Kurdachenko, J. Otal} and \textit{I. Ya. Subbotin} [Proc. Am. Math. Soc. 141, No. 8, 2597-2602 (2013; Zbl 1281.20035)] it is shown that \(d\) may be bounded by the function \(t^{(1+\log_2t)/2}\) of \(t\) only. In the very nice paper under review the following result is proved: Theorem A: If a group \(G\) has finite normal subgroup \(L\) such that \(G/L\) is hypercentral then \(|G/Z_\infty(G)|\leq |\Aut(L)|\cdot |Z(L)|\). The authors also extend the results of \textit{M. R. Dixon, L. A. Kurdachenko}, and \textit{A. A. Pypka} [Milan J. Math. 82, No. 2, 233-241 (2014; Zbl 1322.20027)] in Theorem B.