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LemmaStatement: AI-adaptedProof: AI-adaptedSession-authored (Fable 5 assisted)precheck passaudited 2026-08-26
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The square map is well defined on the central quotient and satisfies q(xˉyˉ)=q(xˉ)+q(yˉ)+b(xˉ,yˉ)

Statement

Let P be an extraspecial 2-group with Z(P)=z and V=P/Z(P), and let q=qz be its square map and b=bz its commutator pairing. Then q is well defined on V and

q(xˉyˉ)=q(xˉ)+q(yˉ)+b(xˉ,yˉ)for all xˉ,yˉV.

Moreover q(xˉ)=0 exactly when the elements of the coset xˉ satisfy x2=1; a subgroup UV on which q vanishes satisfies UU and has elementary abelian preimage in P of order 2U; and every maximal elementary abelian subgroup of P contains Z(P).

Facts & Assumptions

Given: An extraspecial 2-group P with Z(P)=z of order two, the quotient V=P/Z(P), the commutator pairing b and the square map q.

[F1]

The square map of P relative to z is qz:VF2 determined by x2=zqz(xˉ) (The square map of an extraspecial 2-group relative to a chosen generator of its centre).

[F2]

The commutator pairing of P relative to z is bz:V×VFp determined by [x,y]=zbz(xˉ,yˉ) (The commutator pairing of an extraspecial p-group relative to a chosen generator of its centre).

[F3]

Z(G):={zG:zg=gz for every gG} (The center Z(G) of a group).

[F4]

An elementary abelian p-group is a finite abelian p-group in which every nonidentity element has order p (Elementary abelian p-groups).

[L1]

For a finite p-group P the following are equivalent: P is extraspecial; P is nonabelian, Z(P)=p and P/Z(P) is elementary abelian; P is nonabelian and Z(P)=P=Φ(P) has order p (Three equivalent descriptions of an extraspecial p-group).

[L2]

If [G,G]Z(G) then (xy)n=[y,x](n2)xnyn for every nN (In a group with central derived subgroup, (xy)n=[y,x](n2)xnyn).

[L3]

An extraspecial p-group is nilpotent of class exactly two, its derived subgroup satisfies P=Z(P) and has order p (An extraspecial p-group is nilpotent of class exactly two and its derived subgroup has order p).

[L4]

The commutator pairing is well defined, Fp-bilinear and alternating, with bz(yˉ,xˉ)=bz(xˉ,yˉ) (The commutator pairing is well defined on the central quotient, is bilinear over Fp, and is alternating).

[L5]

The rule aˉx=xa gives every elementary abelian p-group its canonical Fp-vector-space structure (An elementary abelian p-group has a canonical Fp-vector-space structure).

[L6]

The quotient group G/N has the left cosets gN as elements (The quotient group G/N and coset product (gN)(hN)=ghN).

Proof

technique · direct
1.1

Since P/Z(P) is elementary abelian, x2Z(P)={1,z} for every xP, and z2=1; so (xz)2=x2z2=x2 and the value of q depends only on the coset xˉ, which makes q well defined on V.

F1F3L1L6
2.1

By definition q(xˉ)=0 exactly when x2=1, and since q is well defined this holds for one element of the coset exactly when it holds for both.

F1F5step 1.1
2.2

The class-two power formula at exponent two gives (xy)2=[y,x](22)x2y2=[y,x]x2y2, and [y,x]=zb(yˉ,xˉ). Over F2 one has 1=1, so b(yˉ,xˉ)=b(xˉ,yˉ)=b(xˉ,yˉ); hence zq(xˉyˉ)=zb(xˉ,yˉ)+q(xˉ)+q(yˉ) and the displayed identity holds.

F1F2L2L3L4L5step 1.1
3.1

Let UV satisfy q(u)=0 for every uU. Then for u,uU the identity gives 0=q(uu)=q(u)+q(u)+b(u,u)=b(u,u), so UU.

F2step 2.2
4.1

Let E be the preimage of such a U in P. It contains Z(P), has order 2U, is abelian because b vanishes on U, and every one of its elements x satisfies x2=1 by step 2.1 together with z2=1; so E is elementary abelian of order 2U.

F3F4L6step 2.1step 3.1
5.1

If E is elementary abelian and does not contain Z(P), then EZ(P) is trivial and EZ(P) is an abelian subgroup all of whose elements square to the identity, properly containing E; so a maximal elementary abelian subgroup contains Z(P).

F3F4step 2.1step 4.1

Remarks

The identity is not additivity, and the correction term is where the two isomorphism types differ: on a subspace where b vanishes the map q is additive and its zero set is a subspace, and it is precisely the size of the largest such subspace that separates the two extraspecial groups of a given order.

Depends on

Used by

Cited to discharge well-definedness by The square map of an extraspecial 2-group relative to a chosen generator of its centre.

Dependency tree · two levels

44 results within two dependency steps of this one, each drawn at its shortest distance from it. An arrow runs from a result to what uses it, so the chart reads left to right and ends at this result, which carries a heavier outline. Every node is a link to that result. Click elsewhere on the chart to enlarge it.

Sources