On profinite groups with commutators covered by countably many cosets (Q1643551)

A group word $w=w(x_1,\dots, x_n)$ is a function of $n$ variables defined on a given group $G$ and we let $w(G)$ denote the verbal subgroup of $G$ generated by the values of $w$. For profinite groups the term ``subgroup'' means ``closed subgroup'', so the verbal subgroup $w(G)$ is a minimal closed subgroup containing the set of $w$ values. Roughly speaking a multilinear commutator is a word which is obtained by nesting commutators, using different variables. The main result of this paper is as follows: Let $\mathcal{C}$ be a class of groups closed under taking subgroups and quotients. Suppose also that $\mathcal{C}$ is closed under taking products of finitely many normal $\mathcal{C}$-subgroups. Let $w$ be a multlilinear commutator word and let $G$ be a profinite group. Then $w(G)$ is virtually-$\mathcal{C}$ if and only if the set of $w$-values in $G$ is covered by countably many cosets of $\mathcal{C}$-subgroups. This result extends the result of \textit{C. Acciarri} and \textit{P. Shumyatsky} [Algebra Discrete Math. 14, No. 1, 1--13 (2012; Zbl 1294.20038)] (the case when $\mathcal{C}$ is the class of soluble groups); it also extends [\textit{E. Detomi} et al., J. Pure Appl. Algebra 219, No. 4, 1020--1030 (2015; Zbl 1308.20027)] when $\mathcal{C}$ is the class of groups of finite rank or the class of torsion groups. The proofs involve very specific combinatorial techniques for handling multilinear commutator words developed in this and earlier papers.