Free profinite products of prosoluble groups (Q2415302)

Let \(G=\coprod_{i\in I} G_i\) be a free profinite product of prosoluble groups. Then there exists the natural epimorphism \(f:G\longrightarrow G^s=\coprod^{s}_{i\in I} G_i\) to the free product in the category of prosoluble groups. The authors consider the question of the existence of the retraction to \(f\), i.e. the existence of a prosoluble subgroup \(H\) of \(G\) such that \(f_{|H}\) is an isomorphism. It is proved in the paper that this is the case when \(G_i\) are pro-\(p\) for some prime \(p\). Note that a kind of the converse statement was given by \textit{F. Pop} [Manuscr. Math. 86, No. 1, 125--135 (1995; Zbl 0827.20038)]. Next it is shown that in a free profinite product \(G=A\amalg \widehat{\mathbb{Z}}\) with \(A\) being finite soluble but not a \(p\)-group the prosolvable retract of \(G^s=A\amalg^{s} \widehat{\mathbb{Z}}\) does not exist. It is proved however that it exists if one assumes that \(A\) is a finite \(p\)-group. Moreover, in this case \(\widehat{\mathbb{Z}}\) can be replaced by any free profinite group \(F\) in \(G\) and by a free prosuluble group \(F^s\) in \(G^s\) of the same rank.