Homomorphic images of finitary linear groups (Q689747)

Let \(V\) be any vector space over a field \(F\). The author studies subgroups \(G\) of the finitary general linear group \(FGL(V)\) of \(V\) that contain no free subgroup of rank 2. The first step (2.1) is to extend Tits' Theorem by proving that \(G\) is locally-soluble by locally-finite. This is done by a straightforward localization argument using Tits' result and the Zariski topology. He then shows (3.1) that if \(x \in G\) then for every normal subgroup \(N\) of \(G\) with \(G/N\) locally soluble \(\langle x^ G,N\rangle/N\) is soluble with derived length bounded independently of \(N\). These are then used to prove a number of residual theorems. For example (4.1), if \(G\) is residually locally soluble then \(G\) is locally soluble. The author derives this from his 3.1. It also follows directly from 2.1 and the abstract result \((L{\mathfrak S})(L{\mathfrak F})\cap RL{\mathfrak S} = L{\mathfrak S}\). Let \(S\) be the maximal locally soluble normal subgroup of \(G\). Theorem 4.2 states that for any class \(\mathfrak X\) of groups, \(G/S\in R{\mathfrak X}\) whenever \(G\in R{\mathfrak X}\). Actually one should assume that \(\mathfrak X\) is \(Q\)-closed here. Again the author uses 3.1, but the result can be derived from the corresponding result for arbitrary \((L{\mathfrak S})(L{\mathfrak F})\)-groups and 2.1. Theorem 4.3 states that if \(G\) is a periodic \(R{\mathfrak X}\)-group for any class of groups \(\mathfrak X\) and if \(G\leq FGL(V)\), then \(G/O_ q(G)\in R{\mathfrak X}\) for any prime \(q\). Clearly \(\mathfrak X\) again should be \(Q\)-closed; also the hypothesis `\(G \leq FGL(V)\)' can be removed. The final theorem (4.4) is a little too technical to state here.