On commutative group algebras of mixed groups

Abstract

Suppose F is a perfect field of characteristic p 0 and G is an abelian group whose torsion subgroup Gt is p-primary. If Gt is totally projective of countable length, it is shown that G is a direct factor of the group of normalized units V(G) of the group algebra F(G) and that V(G)/G is a totally projective p-group. The proof of this result is based on a new characterization of the class of totally projective p-groups of countable length. Li addition, the same result regarding V(G) is obtained if G has countable torsion-free rank and Gt is totally projective of length less than ω1 + ω0 . Finally, these results are applied to the question of whether the existence of an F-i pomorphism F(G) ≅ F(H) for some group H implies that G≅H.