Group Theory – Non-Abelian Group $G$ of Order $p^3$

finite-groupsgroup-theory

I just need some hints to prove this:

Let $|G|=p^3$ be a a non-abelian group. If every subgroup of $G$ is normal, then $p=2$ and $G=Q_8$.

I know the following facts about a non-abelian group $G$ of order $p^3$:

  1. $Z(G)=G'=Z_p$

  2. If $p$ is an odd number, then the function $\phi:G\longrightarrow Z(G)$ given by $ \phi(g)=g^p$ is a homomorphism and $|\ker(\phi)|=p^2$ or $|\ker(\phi)|=p^3$.

Best Answer

Suppose $p$ is odd. Consider the kernel of $\phi$ in the second fact. It consists exactly of the elements of order dividing $p$, and so there are either $p^2$ or $p^3$ of these; always more than $p$. However, by the first fact, there are exactly $p$ central elements of order dividing $p$. In particular, for every odd prime $p$ and non-abelian $p$-group $G$, there is a non-central element of order $p$, and the subgroup it generates is not normal (since it is order $p$ and not central by assumption).

Suppose $p=2$. Then there are two very explicit cases, $D_8$ which doesn't work, and $Q_8$ which does.

Groups like this, in which every element of order $p$ are central, have been studied by JG Thompson and others. Maps like $\phi$ always exist, and serve to build the upper exponent-$p$ series of the group. In particular, if $Z(G)$ is cyclic, $p$ is odd, and every element of order $p$ is central, then $G$ itself is cyclic. If $Z(G)$ has rank 2, then the “socle series” of $G$ has factors of rank at most 2.