A conjecture due to Zassenhaus asserts that if G is a finite group then any torsion unit in G is conjugate in G to an element of G. Here, a weaker form of this conjecture is proved for some infinite groups.

Abstract. Let G be a group such that, for any subgroup H of G, every automorphism of H can be extended to an automorphism of G. Such a group G is said to be of injective type. The finite abelian groups of injective type are precisely the quasi-injective groups. We prove that a finite non-abelian group G of injective type has even order. If, furthermore, G is also quasi-injective, then we prove that G = K × B, with B a quasi-injective abelian group of odd order and either K = Q 8 (the quaternion group of order 8) or K = Dih(A), a dihedral group on a quasi-injective abelian group A of odd order coprime with the order of B. We give a description of the supersoluble finite groups of injective type whose Sylow 2-subgroup are abelian showing that these groups are, in general, not quasi-injective. In particular, the characterisation of such groups is reduced to that of finite 2-groups that are of injective type. We give several restrictions on the latter. We also show that the alternating group A 5 is of injective type but that the binary icosahedral group SL(2, 5) is not.2000 Mathematics Subject Classification. Primary 20D45, Secondary 20F28.