{
  "aliases": null,
  "backlinks": null,
  "body": "\n## Definition\n\nLet $G$ be a [[nilpotent group|0Q7MMQHC1P]].\nLet $\\gamma_1(G) = G$ and $\\gamma_{i+1}(G) = [\\gamma_i(G), G]$ be its [[lower central series|0K98R7A4VC]].\nThe *nilpotency class* of $G$ is the least integer $c \\ge 0$ such that $\\gamma_{c+1}(G) = \\{e\\}$.\n\n## Remarks\n\nEquivalently, the class is the least $c$ such that the [[upper central series|0XW54DH28V]] satisfies $Z_c(G) = G$.\nIt is also the least length of a central series of $G$.\nThe trivial group has class $0$, and a nontrivial [[abelian group|082GHNPJ53]] has class $1$.\nExample: the [[quaternion group|0NRJGW864D]] $Q_8$ has class $2$.\nIndeed $\\gamma_2(Q_8) = [Q_8, Q_8] = \\{\\pm 1\\} \\neq \\{1\\}$, and $\\gamma_3(Q_8) = [\\{\\pm 1\\}, Q_8] = \\{1\\}$ because $-1$ is central.\nNon-example: the symmetric group $S_3$ has no class, because it is not nilpotent.\nIts lower central series is $\\gamma_1 = S_3$ and then $\\gamma_i = A_3$ for all $i \\ge 2$, so it never reaches $\\{e\\}$.\n\n## Explanations\n\n### L1 human\n\nThe class counts how many times you must take commutators with the whole group before everything becomes trivial.\n",
  "commit": "547b6eddb8f2feb8d579f2d633d22a27b7e132fc",
  "front": {
    "defines": "4SQYNP0B4Y",
    "kind": "definition",
    "msc": [
      "20F18",
      "20F14",
      "20D15"
    ],
    "name": "Nilpotency class",
    "sources": [
      {
        "url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nilpotent_group"
      }
    ],
    "tag": "2HKA02YDDM",
    "uses": [
      "0Q7MMQHC1P",
      "0K98R7A4VC",
      "0XW54DH28V"
    ]
  },
  "kind": "definition",
  "link": "https://math2.tamnd.com/node/2HKA02YDDM/",
  "links": [
    {
      "field": "defines",
      "target": "4SQYNP0B4Y"
    },
    {
      "field": "uses",
      "target": "0Q7MMQHC1P"
    },
    {
      "field": "uses",
      "target": "0K98R7A4VC"
    },
    {
      "field": "uses",
      "target": "0XW54DH28V"
    }
  ],
  "markdown": "https://math2.tamnd.com/node/2HKA02YDDM.md",
  "msc": [
    "20F18",
    "20F14",
    "20D15"
  ],
  "name": "Nilpotency class",
  "prov": null,
  "role": "",
  "source": "https://github.com/tamnd/math2/blob/main/nodes/2HK/2HKA02YDDM.md",
  "status": null,
  "tag": "2HKA02YDDM",
  "uri": "m2://2HKA02YDDM",
  "url": "https://math2.tamnd.com/wiki/nilpotency-class-definition/",
  "writing": {
    "tag": "2HKA02YDDM",
    "kind": "definition",
    "level": "W0",
    "next": [
      {
        "what": "an inventory row",
        "note": "the row of the inventory that the node accounts for",
        "have": 0,
        "want": 1
      },
      {
        "what": "a source with a locator",
        "have": 0,
        "want": 1
      }
    ]
  }
}
