Maximal subgroups of direct products

Abstract

We determine all maximal subgroups of the direct product $\sc G^n$ of $\sc n$ copies of a group~$\sc G$. If $\sc G$ is finite, we show that the number of maximal subgroups of~$\sc G^n$ is a quadratic function of~$\sc n$ if $\sc G$ is perfect, but grows exponentially otherwise. We~deduce a theorem of Wiegold about the growth behaviour of the number of generators of~$\sc G^n$.