p-groups are indecomposable (cannot be written as a direct sum of proper subgroups). More is true: the Prüfer p-groups are subdirectly irreducible. An abelian group is subdirectly irreducible if and only if it is isomorphic to a finite cyclic p-group or to a Prüfer group. The Prüfer p-group is the unique infinite p-group that is locally cyclic (every finite set of elements generates a cyclic group). As seen above, all proper subgroups of Z(p∞) are finite. The Prüfer p-groups are the only infinite abelian groups with this property. The Prüfer p-groups are divisible. They play an important role in the classification of divisible groups; along with the rational numbers they are the simplest divisible groups. More precisely: an abelian group is divisible if and only if it is the direct sum of a (possibly infinite) number of copies of Q and (possibly infinite) numbers of copies of Z(p∞) for every prime p. The (cardinal) numbers of copies of Q and Z(p∞) that are used in this direct sum determine the divisible group up to isomorphism. As an abelian group (that is, as a Z-module), Z(p∞) is Artinian but not Noetherian. It can thus be used as a counterexample against the idea that every Artinian module is Noetherian (whereas every Artinian ring is Noetherian). The endomorphism ring of Z(p∞) is isomorphic to the ring of p-adic integers Zp. In the theory of locally compact topological groups the Prüfer p-group (endowed with the discrete topology) is the Pontryagin dual of the compact group of p-adic integers, and the group of p-adic integers is the Pontryagin dual of the Prüfer p-group. See also p-adic integers, which can be defined as the inverse limit of the finite subgroups of the Prüfer p-group. Dyadic rational, rational numbers of the form a/2b. The Prüfer 2-group can be viewed as the dyadic rationals modulo 1. Cyclic group (finite analogue) Circle group (uncountably infinite analogue) Notes References Abelian group theory Infinite group theory P-groups