Exponent-critical groups (Q6961683)

A finite group \(G\) is called exponent-critical if the exponent of \(G\) is not equal to the least common multiple of the exponents of its proper non-abelian subgroups. This property generalizes a classical notion from the theory of minimal non-abelian groups [\textit{G. A. Miller} and \textit{H. C. Moreno}, Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 4, 398--404 (1903; JFM 34.0173.01)].\N\NAn illustrative example is provided early in the paper: the dihedral group \(D_{16}\) has exponent \(8\), while all its proper non-abelian subgroups are isomorphic to \(D_8\) (exponent \(4\)), so \(D_{16}\) is exponent-critical (in contrast, \(D_{24}\) is not exponent-critical).\N\NThe main results of the article give a complete description of exponent-critical groups. The authors prove that such groups have order divisible by at most three distinct primes and provide explicit structural characterizations for the cases of two or three primes. They analyze both abelian and non-abelian Sylow configurations and classify exponent-critical \(p\)-groups in two types. For type B (multiple abelian maximal subgroups), the known classification of \(2\)-generator \(p\)-groups with cyclic derived subgroup applies. For type A (unique abelian maximal subgroup), a new construction is given via a universal family \(U/N\) based on a semidirect product and a prescribed automorphism of an abelian group.