Bounds on the order of the Schur multiplier of \(p\)-groups (Q6174706)

Let \(G\) be a finite group. The Schur multiplier \(M(G)\) of \(G\), defined as \(H^{2}(G,\mathbb{C}^{\times})\), the second cohomology group of \(G\) with coefficients in \(\mathbb{C}^{\times}\), plays an important role in the theory of extensions of groups. If \(|G|=p^{n}\) (\(p\) a prime), then \textit{J. A. Green} in [Proc. R. Soc. Lond., Ser, A 237, 574--581 (1956; Zbl 0071.02301)] proved that \(|M(G)| \leq p^{\frac{1}{2}n(n-1)}\) (and this bound can not be improved if \(G\) is elementary abelian). After that result the bound has been strengthened in many ways. For example, if \(|G'|=p^{k}\), then \(|M(G)| \leq p^{\frac{1}{2}(n-k-1)(n-k-2)+1}\) [\textit{P. Niroomand}, J. Algebra 322, No. 12, 4479--4482 (2009; Zbl 1186.20013)] and if \(|G/\Phi(G)|=p^{d}\) (so \(d\) is the minimal number of generators of \(G\)), then \(|M(G)| \leq p^{\frac{1}{2}(d-1)(n+k-2)+1}\) [\textit{G. Ellis} and \textit{J. Wiegold}, Bull. Aust. Math. Soc. 60, No. 2, 191--196 (1999; Zbl 0940.20017)]. As the author points out in [Int. J. Algebra Comput. 27, No. 5, 495--500 (2017; Zbl 1371.20014)], this bound is better than the one found by Niroomand [loc. cit.]. The paper under review is intended to demonstrate further limitations to the order of \(M(G)\) when \(c\), the nilpotency class of \(G\), is added to the parameters \(n\) and \(d\). The formulas found are too complicated to be reported here. Another interesting result proved by the author is Theorem 1.7: Let \(p\) be an odd prime and \(G\) be a finite \(p\)-group of maximal class with \(|G| = p^{n}\) and \(n \geq 4\). Then \(|M(G)| \leq p^{\frac{1}{2}n}\).