Maximal normal subgroups of the integral linear group of countable degree

Abstract

This paper continues the second author's investigation of the normal structure of the automorphism group г of a free abelian group of countably infinite rank. It is shown firstly that, in contrast with the case of finite degree, for each prime p every linear transformation of the vector space of countably infinite dimension over Zp, the field of p elements, is induced by an element of г Since by a result of Alex Rosenberg GL(אo, Zp ) has a (unique) maximal normal subgroup, it then follows that г has maximal normal subgroups, one for each prime.