Let $G$ be a $p$-group and let $\unicode[STIX]{x1D712}$ be an irreducible character of $G$. The codegree of $\unicode[STIX]{x1D712}$ is given by $|G:\,\text{ker}(\unicode[STIX]{x1D712})|/\unicode[STIX]{x1D712}(1)$. If $G$ is a maximal class $p$-group that is normally monomial or has at most three character degrees, then the codegrees of $G$ are consecutive powers of $p$. If $|G|=p^{n}$ and $G$ has consecutive $p$-power codegrees up to $p^{n-1}$, then the nilpotence class of $G$ is at most 2 or $G$ has maximal class.

Given a positive integer $m$, a finite $p$-group $G$ is called a $BC(p^{m})$-group if $|H_{G}|\leq p^{m}$ for every nonnormal subgroup $H$ of $G$, where $H_{G}$ is the normal core of $H$ in $G$. We show that $m+2$ is an upper bound for the nilpotent class of a finite $BC(p^{m})$-group and obtain a necessary and sufficient condition for a $p$-group to be of maximal class. We also classify the $BC(p)$-groups.

Let G be a p-group of maximal class of order pn. It is shown that the order of the group of all automorphisms of G centralizing the Frattini quotient takes the maximum value p2n−4 if and only if G is metabelian. A structure theorem is proved for the Sylow p-subgroup, Autp(G), of the automorphism group of G when G is metabelian. For p=2, Aut2(G) is the full automorphism group of G. For p=3, we prove a structure theorem for the full automorphism group of G.

We show that p-groups of maximal class and order p5 are determined by their group algebras over the field of p elements. The most important information requisite for the proof is obtained from a detailed study of the unit group of a quotient algebra of the group algebra, larger than the small group algebra.