The main result is that for every recursively enumerable existential consistent theory Γ , there exists a finitely presented SQ-universal group H such that Γ is satisfied in every nontrivial quotient of H. Furthermore if Γ is satisfied in some group with a soluble word problem, then H can be taken with a soluble word problem. We characterize the finitely generated groups with soluble word problem as the finitely generated groups G for which there exists a finitely presented group H (...) all of the nontrivial quotients of which embed G. We prove also that for every countable group G, there exists a 2-finitely generated SQ-universal group H such that every nontrivial quotient of H embeds G. (shrink)

We prove that a nonabelian superstable CSA-group has an infinite definable simple subgroup all of whose proper definable subgroups are abelian. This imply in particular that the existence of nonabelian CSA-group of finite Morley rank is equivalent to the existence of a simple bad group all whose definable proper subgroups are abelian. We give a new proof of a result of Mustafin and Poizat [E. Mustafin, B. Poizat, Sous-groupes superstables de SL2 ] which states that a superstable model of the (...) universal theory of nonabelian free groups is abelian. We deduce also that a superstable torsion-free hyperbolic group is cyclic. We close the paper by showing that an existentially closed CSA*-group is not superstable. (shrink)

Given a pseudovariety [MATHEMATICAL SCRIPT CAPITAL C], it is proved that a residually-[MATHEMATICAL SCRIPT CAPITAL C] superstable group G has a finite seriesG0 ⊴ G1 ⊴ · · · ⊴ Gn = Gsuch that G0 is solvable and each factor Gi +1/Gi is in [MATHEMATICAL SCRIPT CAPITAL C] . In particular, a residually finite superstable group is solvable-by-finite, and if it is ω -stable, then it is nilpotent-by-finite. Given a finitely generated group G, we show that if G is ω (...) -stable and satisfies some residual properties , then G is finite. (shrink)

Let G be an arbitrary group. We show that if the Fitting subgroup of G is nilpotent then it is definable. We prove also that the class of groups whose Fitting subgroup is nilpotent of class at most n is elementary. We give an example of a group whose Fitting subgroup is definable but not nilpotent. Similar results for the soluble radical are given; that is for the subgroup generated by all normal soluble subgroups of G.