Virtually free factors of pro-\(p\) groups (Q1182842)

An abstract group \(G\) is called an M. Hall group if every finitely generated subgroup is virtually a free factor of \(G\), i.e. is a free factor of some finite-index subgroup of \(G\). M. Hall showed (essentially) that free groups are M. Hall, and the reviewer made the standard generalization of this, showing that M. Hall groups are closed under free products. In the present paper these results are transferred to the context of pro-\(p\) groups \(G\), where it is appropriate to define a subgroup \(H\) to be a virtual free factor of \(G\) if there is an open subgroup \(U\) of \(G\) such that \(U\) is the free pro-\(p\) product of \(H\) and some other subgroup of \(U\). It is shown that the analogues of the above results for abstract groups do go over to pro-\(p\) groups provided one restricts attention to (topologically) finitely generated, closed subgroups \(H\), and to free pro-\(p\) products of finitely many (topologically) finitely generated pro-\(p\) groups. It is conjectured that in the latter situation the finite generation can be dispensed with.