Finite index subgroup with free abelianization

Question

Suppose $G$ is a nilpotent, finitely generated group such that it's abelianization has rank $r$. How does one go on proving that $G$ has a finite-index subgroup $H$ with free abelianization of rank $r$?

Answer 1

The abelianization gives you a surjection $G\twoheadrightarrow G^{ab}\cong\mathbb Z^r\oplus T$, where $T$ is a finite torsion group. (Finite because the abelianization is finitely generated.) Now let $H$ be the inverse image of $\mathbb Z^r$ under this surjection.

Edit: As pointed out in the comments, $H^{ab}$ could be $\mathbb Z^r\oplus T_1$. So you repeat the process by taking a finite index subgroup of $H$, say $H_1$. Now it's not hard to show that $G,H,H_1,\ldots$ is a descending central series. That means each term is contained in the corresponding term of the lower central series and the quotients $H_i/H_{i+1}$ are contained in the quotients $\Gamma_i/\Gamma_{i+1}$ of the lower central series, which are eventually trivial.