The automorphism group of a generalized extraspecial \(p\)-group. (Q963686)

A classic result of \textit{D. Winter} [Rocky Mt. J. Math. 2, 159-168 (1972; Zbl 0242.20023)] gives the complete structure of the automorphism group \(\Aut(G)\) for an extraspecial \(p\)-group \(G\). The authors of this important paper call a nonabelian \(p\)-group \(G\) generalized extraspecial if \(Z(G)\) is cyclic and \(|G'|=p\) and then proceed to determine the structure of \(\Aut(G)\). As expected, the structure resembles a bit that of the particular case handled by Winter in the precise sense that the symplectic group is involved in various ways. The statement of the main characterization theorem is too complicated to be included here; the proof is rather technical, it resembles in places that of Winter, but it has to deal with many more particular cases, which are dealt with according to the possible exponent of \(G\).