Embedding theorems for solvable groups

Abstract: In this paper, we prove a series of results on group embeddings in groups with a small number of generators. We show that each finitely generated group $G$ lying in a variety ${\mathcal M}$ can be embedded in a $4$-generated group $H \in {\mathcal M}{\mathcal A}$ (${\mathcal A}$ means the variety of abelian groups). If $G$ is a finite group, then $H$ can also be found as a finite group. It follows, that any finitely generated (finite) solvable group $G$ of the derived length $l$ can be embedded in a $4$-generated (finite) solvable group $H$ of length $l+1$. Thus, we answer the question of V. H. Mikaelian and A.Yu. Olshanskii. It is also shown that any countable group $G\in {\mathcal M}$, such that the abelianization $G_{ab}$ is a free abelian group, is embeddable in a $2$-generated group $H\in {\mathcal M}{\mathcal A}$.