On Nilpotent Products of Cyclic Groups

Abstract

In this paper G = F/Fn is studied for F a free product of a finite number of cyclic groups, and Fn the normal subgroup generated by commutators of weight n. The case of n = 4 is completely treated (F/F2 is well known; F/F3 is completely treated in (2)); special cases of n > 4 are studied; a partial conjecture is offered in regard to the unsolved cases. For n = 4 a multiplication table and other properties are given.The problem arose from Golovin's work on nilpotent products ((1), (2), (3)) which are of interest because they are generalizations of the free and direct product of groups: all nilpotent groups are factor groups of nilpotent products in the same sense that all groups are factor groups of free products, and all Abelian groups are factor groups of direct products. In particular (as is well known) every finite Abelian group is a direct product of cyclic groups. Hence it becomes of interest to investigate nilpotent products of finite cyclic groups.