For a non-empty class of groups L, a finite group G = AB is said to be an L-connected product of the subgroups A and B if a, b ∈ L for all a ∈ A and b ∈ B. In a previous paper, we prove that for such a product, when L = S is the class of finite soluble groups, then [A, B] is soluble. This generalizes the theorem of Thompson which states the solubility of finite groups whose two-generated subgroups are soluble. In the present paper our result is applied to extend to finite groups previous research in the soluble universe. In particular, we characterize connected products for relevant classes of groups; among others the class of metanilpotent groups and the class of groups with nilpotent derived subgroup. Also we give local descriptions of relevant subgroups of finite groups.

For a non-empty class of groups F, two subgroups A and B of a finite group G are said to be F-connected if ha; bi A F for all a A A and b A B. This paper is a study of F-connection for saturated formations F J NA (where NA denotes the class of all finite groups with nilpotent commutator subgroup). The class of all finite supersoluble groups constitutes an example of such a saturated formation. It is shown for example that in a finite soluble group G ¼ AB the subgroups A and B are NA-connected if and only if ½A; B c F ðGÞ, where F ðGÞ denotes the Fitting subgroup of G. Also F-connected finite soluble products for any saturated formation F with F J NA are characterized.

For a non-empty class of groups C, two subgroups A and B of a group G are said to be C-connected if a, b ∈ C for all a ∈ A and b ∈ B. Given two sets π and ρ of primes, S π S ρ denotes the class of all finite soluble groups that are extensions of a normal π -subgroup by a ρ-group.It is shown that in a finite group G = A B, with A and B soluble subgroups, then A and B are S π S ρ -connected if and only if O ρ (B) centralizes A O π (G)/O π (G), O ρ (A) centralizes B O π (G)/O π (G)and G ∈ S π ∪ρ . Moreover, if in this situation A and B are in S π S ρ , then G is in S π S ρ . This result is then extended to a large family of saturated formations F , the so-called nilpotent-like Fitting formations of soluble groups, and to finite groups that are products of arbitrarily many pairwise permutable F -connected F -subgroups.

In this paper we study groups G generated by two subgroups A and B such that ⟨a, b⟩ is nilpotent of class at most 2 for all a ∈ A and b ∈ B. A detailed description of the structure of such groups is obtained, generalizing the classical result of Hopkins and Levi on 2-Engel groups.

For a non-empty class of groups L, a finite group G=AB is said to be an L-connected product of the subgroups A and B if ⟨a,b⟩∈L for all a∈A and b∈B. In a previous paper, we prove that, for such a product, when L=S is the class of finite soluble groups, then [A,B] is soluble. This generalizes the theorem of Thompson that states the solubility of finite groups whose two-generated subgroups are soluble. In the present paper, our result is applied to extend to finite groups previous research about finite groups in the soluble universe. In particular, we characterize connected products for relevant classes of groups, among others, the class of metanilpotent groups and the class of groups with nilpotent derived subgroup. Additionally, we give local descriptions of relevant subgroups of finite groups.