PACIFIC JOURNAL OF MATHEMATICS

Vol. 29, No. 1, 1969

THE POWER-COMMUTATOR STRUCTURE

OF FINITE i>-GROUPS
DEANE E. ARGANBRIGHT

For a finite p-group G, Gn is the n-ih element in the de-

scending central series of G; P(G) is the subgroup of G ge-
p
nerated by the set of all x for x belonging to G; and Φ(G)
is the Frattini subgroup of G.
Hobby has characterized finite p-groups G (for p > 2) in
which P(G) = Φ(G). Since Φ(G) = G2P(G), the condition P(G) =
Φ(G) is clearly equivalent to G2 £ P(G). In this paper we
examine the class of finite ^-groups G which have the pro-
perty that Gn £ P(Gm) for 1 < njm < p. In §2 we consider
consequences of this property in the case m = 1. For example,
if Gp-ί £ P(G), then the product of p-th powers of elements
of G is the p-th power of an element of G (Theorem 2), In
§ 3 we examine some connections between the property Gn £=
P(Gm) and regularity, and obtain a characterization of regular
3-groups (Theorem 4). In § 4 we obtain bounds on the number
of generators of various commutator subgroups of G in the
case G3 £ P(G), p > 3.

For a discussion of ^-groups G for which G2 g P(G) see [ 6 ] .

1* Notation* Throughout this paper G is a finite £>-group. If

Xlf X2, , Xn are subsets of G, then ζXu X2, , JSΓW> is the smallest
subgroup of G containing all the Xi9 If X — {x} for some element a?,
we write X = x. We denote by d(G) the minimal number of elements
of G which generate G, while | G \ is the order of G. We set Pn(G) =
<{α?pW I α? e (?}>. Also, Z(G) is the center of G and Φ(G) is the Frattini
subgroup of G.
Simple commutators of weight n are defined inductively by setting
(xly x2) - XT'X^X^Z and (xί9 . . , xn) = ((xιy , x^), xn) for w > 2. In
addition, we define (x, ly) = (a?, 3/) and (&, wj/) = (x, (n — l)y, y) for
n > 1. For subgroups ί^, £Γ2, , Hn of G we set

{Hl9Hif -..,Hn) = <{(hlyh2, ...^JI^eH,}).

Similarly, (H19 1H2) = (i^, ίί 2 ) and (fli, wfl"2) = (iϊ,, (n ~ 1)H2, H2) for
n > 1. The descending central series of G is defined by setting GL = G
and Gn = (G%_i, G) for π > 1. A group G is said to have class c if
G c + 1 = 1 and Gc Φ 1. Finally, the derived series of G is defined by
setting G{0) = G and Giί+1) = (G ( ί ) , G (ί) ) for i ^ 0.

2 Basic results^ It is known ([4], Th. 3.1, p. 63) that when-

11
12 DEANE E. ARGANBRIGHT

ever x and y belong to G,

( *) (xy)p = xpypcd

where c e P{ζx, y*)2) and d e ζx, y)p. Applying this result to the ex-
pression (ap, b) = a~p(a(a, b))p one can obtain the following lemma by
repeated induction.

LEMMA 1. // s, n, k ^ 1, then (P(Gn), sGk) a P(Gn+sk)Gpn+sk.

THEOREM 1. Let n and m be integers and p be a prime such

that l<n/m< p. If Gn a P ( G J , then Gn+k a P(Gm+k) for k ^ 0.

Proof. We proceed by induction on k, the case k = 0 being the

hypothesis. Suppose that Gn+k a P(Gm+k) and that G is a group of
minimal order for which Gn+k+ί <g P(G m + f c + 1 ). Clearly we may assume
P(Gm+k+ι) = 1. I t follows from Lemma 1 that (P(Gm+k), G) S (τ p ( m + A ) + 1 .
Hence Gn+k+1 g (P(Gm+k), G) S G p ( w + f t ) + 1 . However, p(m +fc)+ 1 > π +
k + 1, so GΛ+Jfe+1 c GΛ+Jfc+1, a contradiction. Thus Gn+k+1 £ P(G m + A ; + 1 ).

REMARK. We shall be most concerned with the case m = 1 of

Theorem 1: If Gn £ P(G) and w < p, then Gw+fc S P(G1+k) for fc ^ 0.
In Example 1 we show that this result cannot be extended to the
case n 7> p.

COROLLARY 1.1. If n <p and Gn £ P(G), then

(a) {Gdn £ P ( ^ ) for i = 1,2,3, •-.,
(b) (P{G))n £ P(Gn) £ P(P(G)), and
(c) /or α ^ x e G, if H = <G2, α>, ίΛβπ Jϊ π g P(G 2 ) S

Proo/. (a) I t is known ([4], Th. 2.55, p. 55) that (G<)n S Gin.
Since m — (n — 1) ^ i it follows from Theorem 1 that

Gin S P(G<w-(n-l,) S P ( ^ ) .
(b) I t follows from Lemma 1 that (P(G))n £ {P(G), (n - 1)G) S
P(Gn)Gp+n^. By Theorem 1, G , ^ C P(G P ), so

(P(G)) n a P(Gn)P(Gp) a P(P(G)) .

(c) Since G2 is central modulo G3 and ί//G2 is cyclic, we have
H2 a G3. It follows that if, a G ί + 1 for i ^ 2. By Theorem 1, G w + 1 a
p(G2). Thus fl. a G Λ + 1 a P(G2) a

COROLLARY 1.2. // w < p, Gn a P(G), α^d ί is αw integer such

that 2* ^ n + 1, ί/^e^ G ί&+< - 1) a P(G (fc) ) /or fc ^ 1.
 THE POWER-COMMUTATOR STRUCTURE OF FINITE ^-GROUPS 13

Proof. We assume that the result holds for all groups of order
less than \G\. It follows from Corollary 1.1 that G (1) satisfies the
hypothesis of this corollary. Since |G ( 1 ) \ < \G\ we have
{1) k)
(**) (G<i>)<*+<-i> g P((G Y )

for k ^ 1.
By Theorem 2.54 of [4], G{t) S G 2t . Hence for k - 1 it follows
from Theorem 1 that G ( ί ) S Gn+1 S P(G2) = P(G{1)). If A > 1 we re-
place k by k — 1 in (**) and obtain

REMARK. When w = ί = 2 in Corollary 1.2 we obtain Theorem 2

of [6].

We now show that Theorem 1 for the case m = 1 cannot be ex-

tended to include n 2> p.

EXAMPLE 1. Let <V> I (py be the wreath product of (ay by <δ>,

where ap = b*r = 1 and r > 0. Then Gp S P(G), ί"(G2) = 1, and

It is clear that the property Gn §Ξ P(G), n < p, is inherited by

factor groups and preserved by direct products. By the following
example we show that this property is not always inherited by a sub-
group H of G.

EXAMPLE 2. Let W = (ayi (by, where ap = bp = 1. For 2 ^ w g

p — 1, set if = W/Wn+1 and fl"Λ = <«>. Let (dy be the cyclic group
2
of order p , and G be the group formed by taking the direct product
p
of H and (dy with the amalgamation d = z. Then Gn = Hn = <(^)> =
P(G), while P(JΪ) = 1.

THEOREM 2. / / G Λ S P ( G ) α ^ d n < p, then for any xu - -,xk

in G, there is an element h in G such that xf x\ ~ hp.

Proof. The result is clear if G is abelian. Suppose that G is

nonabelian and that the theorem holds for all groups H with | H\ <
\G\. It follows from (*) that {xx %) ? ) = xf x\gl #f#, where
Qi G G2 for 1 g i ^ ί and 0 e G p . By Theorem 1, Gp S P(G 2 ), so there
exist elements grί+1, , gr in G2 such that g = gf+1 gvr.
By Corollary 1.1, (G2)w S P(G 2 ). Since | G21 < | G | it follows from
% p
the induction hypothesis applied to G2 that g\ gΐgϊ+ι " gl = V 1
p p 1
where y e G2. That is, xf x\ = (xx xk) s , where s = T/" is in
 14 DEANE E. ARGANBRIGHT

G2. Next set x = x, xk and let H = <G2, &>. By Corollary 1.1,

£ΓW g P(H). It follows from the Burnside Basis Theorem (see e.g.
[3], p. 176) that d(G) = d(G/K) if if is a normal subgroup of G and
K^Φ(G). Thus, since G is nonabelian, HaG. Hence, applying the
induction hypothesis to H, xpsp = hp for some h in H. Therefore
X* . . . χl = hp.

COROLLARY 2.1. If Gn s P(G) and n < p, then P(P(G)) = P\G).

REMARK. The results of Theorem 2 and Corollary 2.1 are the

best possible. That is, if n ^> p then it does not follow from Gn £
P(G) that the products of p-th powers are p-th powers or that
P(P(G)) = P 2 (G). For if we let G = <α> I <&>, where α*2 = bp2 = 1,
then it can be shown that Gp S P((J), while b~p(baQ)p is not a p-th
power for some α0, δ e G , and P 2 (G) Φ P(P(G)).

3. Regularity. A p-group G is regular if for each pair of ele-

ments α, b of G, (ab)p = apbpc where c e P « α , 6>2). If G is not regular,
G is called irregular. It follows from (*) that G is regular if
Kflj byp S P(<(a, by2) for each 2-generator subgroup <(α, δ)> of G. By com-
parison, Gp S P(G 2 ) whenever Gw S P(G) and n < p. In addition, the
result of Theorem 2 is also true in regular ^-groups. Thus the property
Gn £ P(G), n < p, is similar to regularity. However, neither of these
properties implies the other, as is shown in the next two examples.
First we construct a regular group G for which Gί>_1 $£ P(G).

EXAMPLE 3. Let W = <α> I <&>, where ap = bp = 1. Set G =

TΓ/WP. Since Wp = P(W), clearly G ^ ^ 1 and P(G) = 1. However,
G has class p — 1, and is thus regular ([4], Corollary 4.13, p. 73).

Next we construct an irregular group G for which G2 S P(G).

EXAMPLE 4. Let H = <α, 6>, where apP = bpP~τ = 1 and b~ιab =

ap+1. Then (α, nb) - a25", so H2 c <ap>. Thus | ίΓ21 = p^" 1 and Hp+1 = 1.
On the other hand, (α, (p — 1)6) Φ 1, so Hp Φ 1. Thus J ϊ has class
p, Hz is abelian and d{H) = 2. It follows from Theorem 1.4 of [7]
that there is a positive integer n such that if Hi = iJ(ί = 1, . . . , % ) ,
then G = f^ x x Hn is irregular. However, it is clear that
G2 S P(G).
We know from Example 4 that G2 S P(G) does not imply regu-
larity. However, in that example d(G) > 2. We now show that in a
finite 2-generator p-group (p Φ 2) G2Q P(G) does imply regularity.

THEOREM 3. Let G be a finite p-group (p Φ 2) with G2 £ P(G)

 THE POWER-COMMUTATOR STRUCTURE OF FINITE ^-GROUPS 15

and d(G) = 2. Then G is regular.

Proof. By Theorem 1, G3 £ P(G2). Hence d(G2/P(G2)) ^ d(G2/G3).

It follows from Theorem 2.83 of [4] that d(G2/G3) ^ 1. By Corollary
1.1, (G2)2 £ P(G2), so G2/P(G2) is an elementary abelian p-group. Thus
[G2: P(G2)] ^ p, and G is regular by Theorem 2.3 of [5].

We next obtain a characterization of regular 3-groups.

THEOREM 4. // G is a finite 3-group, then G is regular if, and

only if, H3 £ P{H2) for each 2-generator subgroup H of G.

Proof. It follows from (*) that the latter condition implies re-
gularity. On the other hand, if G is regular, then all subgroups of
G are regular. Alperin ([1], Lemma 3.1.1, p. 96) has shown that if
H is a regular 2-generator 3-group, then its derived group is cyclic.
Hence H3 £ P(H2).

REMARK. If p = 3 or p = 2 and G is a regular 2-generator p-

group, then Gp £ P(G2). However, these are the only primes for
which this result holds, since the Burnside group of exponent p and
2 generators has class greater than p when p > 3.
As in the proof of Theorem 4, if G, is cyclic, then G i + 1 £ P(G,).
In particular, G3 £ P(G2) if d(G2) = 1. If d(G2) = 2 a theorem of
Blackburn gives a similar result.

THEOREM 5. Le£ G be a finite p-group such that d(G2) = 2. Then

G4 £ P(G2).

Proof. We may assume P(G2) = 1. It follows from Theorem 1

2
of [2] that [G2: P(G2)] ^ p , so G4 = 1.

We now show that for each prime p and each integer n ^ 3,

there is a finite p-group G such that d(G2) = n and <S4 g£ P(G2). This
shows that the result of Theorem 5 is not true if rf(G2) > 2.

p3
EXAMPLE 5. Let W = <α> 2 <&>, where α^ = 6 = 1. Then
I Wi/Wi+ί \ = p for i ^ 2 and ΫF has class p 3 . Thus W5 Φ 1. Let
# = W/W6. Then fl"2 is an elementary abelian p-group, d(H2) = 3,
iϊ 4 ^ 1, and P(H2) = 1. Thus ί ί 4 g P ί f t ) . If w = 3 we may let
G = H. If % > 3, let D be one of the nonabelian groups of order
p3. Then \D2\ = p. Let if be the group formed by taking the direct
product on n — 3 copies of D. Set G = H x K. Then G2 = H2 x J^ 2
and d(G2) = d(ίf2) + (w - 3) = n. Clearly G4 g P(G 2 ).
16 DEANE E. ARGANBRIGHT

4* Bounds on generators of commutator subgroups* Hobby

([6], Th. 3, p. 855) has shown that the condition G2 C P(G) (p > 2)
imposes restrictions on the generating elements of G{i) for i ^ 0. In
this section we obtain similar results in the case G3 S P(G) and p > 3.
The procedure used here can be extended to the general case Gn S
P(G), n < p, although the estimates thus obtained are not as precise.

THEOREM 6. Suppose p > 3, G3 g P(G), and d = d(G). Then

d(G3) ^ (l/2)d(d2 - 1).

Proof. We may assume <2>(G3) = 1. It then follows from Theorem

1 that G4 C P(G2) and G5 S P(G3) = 1. Also P(G 2 ) is abelian, since

(P(G2))2 s (P(G2), G2) s P(G<)Gilp+1) = 1

by Lemma 1.
We next claim that d(P(G2)) ^ d(G2/G3). For if d(G2/G3) = ί, then
there exist elements gly-"ygt in G2 such that for each geG2,g —
gm(i) # . # ^(^/^ for some integers m(i) and Λ G G3. It follows from (*)
that g* = (^f)m(1) (gΐ)m{t)hpcd, where /^ and c are elements of P(G 3 )
and d e G2V. Hence hp = c = d = 1 and the assertion follows.
Since P(G 2 ) is abelian and G4 g P(G 2 ) we thus have d(G4) ^ d(G2/G3).
Hence

d(GA)
d(G2/G3)
^ (lβ)d\d - 1) + (l/2)d(d - 1) ,
where the last inequality follows from Theorem 2.83 of [4],

THEOREM 7. Suppose p > 3 and k ^ 2. Le£ α^, .τ2, , xd be coset

representatives of a minimal basis of the abelian group Gk/G^ If
G3 ϋ P(G), then there exist integers n(i) such that

Proof. In any p-group, (Gk)2 C G2fc. Since Λ ^ 2 it follows from

Theorem 1 that G2k S P(G 2 ,_ 2 ) C P(G fc ). Thus the theorem follows
from Theorem 3 of [6].

COROLLARY 7.1. Suppose G3 g P(G) wΛβrβ p > 3. // k ^ 2

i / Gfc cαπ 6e generated by d elements, then (Gk){ί) can be generated
by d elements for i — 1, 2, 3, .

A p-group G is called p-abelian if (ίπ/)p = xϊ)?/2) for all elements

x,y of G. The properties of p-abelian groups used below may be
 THE POWER-COMMUTATOR STRUCTURE OF FINITE ^-GROUPS 17

found in [6] (p. 853).

THEOREM 8. If p > 3, G3 £ P(G), and d = d(G), then d(G{ί)) ^

(l/2)d(d + l) /or i = 1,2,3, . . . .

Proof. We first consider the case ΐ = 1. The result is clearly

true in this case if \G\ = p. Suppose the theorem is true when i = 1
for all groups H with \H\ < \G\. We may assume Φ(G{ί)) = 1. By
Theorem 2.83 of [4], d(G{1)/G,) ^ (l/2)d(d - 1). A p-group G is p-
a) a)
abelian modulo P(G )Gp. Since p > 3,G P £ P(G P _ 2 ) = 1, soP(G )Gp = 1
and (? is p-abelian. Hence d(P(G)) S d. In a p-abelian group P{G) £
Z(G), so P(G) is abelian. Since G3 £ P(G) we have d(G3) ^ d, so

d(G(1)) < d(G(1)/G3) + d(G3) ^ (l/2)d(d + 1)..

Thus the theorem is true for i = 1.
For i > 1, Corollary 7.1 yields.

The author wishes to thank the referee for his suggestions.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. J. L. Alperin, On a special class of regular p-groups, Trans. Amer. Math. Soc.

106 (1963), 77-99.
2. N. Blackburn, On prime-power groups in which the derived group has two gene-
rators, Proc. Camb. Phil. Soc. 5 3 (1957), 19-27.
3. M. Hall, The theory of groups, Macmillan, New York, 1959.
4. P. Hall, A contribution to the theory of groups of prime-power order, Proc. Lond.
Math. Soc. (2) 36 (1933), 29-95.
5. , On a theorem of Frobenius, Proc. Lond. Math. Soc. (2) 4 0 (1936), 468-501.
6. C. Hobby, A characteristic subgroup of a p-group, Pacific J. Math. 10 (1960),
853-858.
7. P. M. Weichsel, Regular p-groups and varieties, Math. Zeit. 9 5 (1967), 223-231.

Received November 9, 1967, and in revised form July 15, 1968. This paper con-
tains portions of the author's doctoral thesis at the University of Washington. The
research was supported in part by the National Science Foundation under grant NSF
GP-5691.

IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY