Andrea
          Lucchini -  Università di Padova
        d-maximal finite groups   
          
        Abstract: Let d(G) be the smallest
    cardinality of a generating set of a finite group G. A finite group
    G is called "d-maximal" if d(H)<d(G) for every proper subgroup H
    of G. The structure of these groups has not been adequately studied.
    I will describe some results and open problems.