Notes on Engel groups and Engel elements in groups. Some generalizations

Abstract

Engel groups and Engel elements became popular in 50s. We consider in the paper the more general nil-groups and nil-elements in groups. All these notions are related to nilpotent groups and nilpotent radicals in groups. These notions generate problems which are parallel to Burnside problems for periodic groups. The first three theorems of the paper are devoted to nil-groups and Engel groups, while the other results are connected with the further generalizations. These generalizations extend the theory to solvable groups and solvable radicals in groups. The paper has two parts. The first one (sections 2-4) deals with old ideas, while the second one (sections 5-9) is devoted to generalizations.