Model theory of profinite groups having the Iwasawa property (Q1392342)

A profinite group \(G\) is a topological group which is compact, Hausdorff and totally disconnected. Equivalently, \(G\) is an inverse limit of finite groups. A profinite group \(G\) has the Iwasawa property IP if, for every epimorphism \(f: B \rightarrow A\), where \(A\) and \(B\) are finite quotients of \(G\), and for every epimorphism \(g: G \rightarrow A\), there is some epimorphism \(h: G \rightarrow B\) such that \(f h = g\). In an unpublished paper in 1980 (mainly devoted to regularly closed fields), Cherlin, van den Dries and Macintyre equipped every profinite group \(G\) with a structure \(S(G)\) encoding the inverse system of finite quotients of \(G\) with the projection maps; in fact, the elements of \(S(G)\) are just the cosets of open normal subgroups \(N\) of \(G\) (all these subgroups are of finite index in \(G\)); and suitable symbols encode the inclusion relation among subgroups, the group multiplication among the cosets of the same subgroup, the group epimorphisms among the quotient groups, and \(G\) itself (as a coset). It turns out that the systems \(S(G)\) provide a good tool in the model theory of profinite groups (and even in the algebraic setting). For instance, in a suitable many-sorted first order language, the systems \(S(G)\) are \(\omega\)-sorted structures and form an elementary class, as well as the systems \(S(G)\) of the groups \(G\) with IP. Moreover, when \(G\) admits IP, the theory of \(S(G)\) is \(\omega\)-categorical, and also \(\omega\)-stable. The paper under review first recalls and explains in detail the unpublished results of Cherlin, van den Dries and Macintyre on profinite groups, and then goes deep into the analysis of the systems \(S(G)\) and applies it to obtain several results, mainly of algebraic flavour. For instance, it is shown that every profinite group \(H\) has, up to \(H\)-isomorphism, a unique universal IP-cover \(G\), namely a pair \((G,f)\) such that \(G\) is a profinite group with IP, \(f\) is an epimorphism of \(G\) onto \(H\) and, for every IP group \(G'\) with an epimorphism \(f'\) of \(G'\) onto \(H\), there is an epimorphism \(g\) of \(G'\) onto \(G\) satisfying \(f'=fg\) (this improves a previous result obtained by Haran and Lubotzky by algebraic methods when \(H\) is finitely generated). Also, it is proved that, if \((K_i)_{i \in I}\) is a family of fields with free absolute Galois groups, \(U\) is an ultrafilter on \(I\) and \(K\) is the ultraproduct \(\prod_{i \in I} K_i / U\), then the absolute Galois group of \(K\) is free. From a model theoretic point of view, saturation, forking, ranks, Rudin-Keisler ordering and orthogonality are discussed within the systems \(S(G)\). \(\kappa\)-strongly homogeneous profinite groups (for \(\kappa\) an infinite cardinal) are also examin these groups have the following definition: Every isomorphism between two quotients having \(< \kappa\) open subgroups lifts to an automorphisms of the group. It is shown that, if \(G\) is a \(\kappa\)-strongly homogeneous group, \(N\) is a normal subgroup of \(G\) such that \(| S(G/K) | < \kappa\) and \(U\) is a characteristic subgroup of \(N\), then every automorphism of \(G/U\) lifts to an automorphism of \(G\) (this extends some results of Mel'nikov). The author gives also an example of a group with IP which is not \(\omega\)-strongly homogeneous (this answers negatively a question posed by Haran and Lubotzky). Finally, pro-\(p\)-groups having IP are studied. It is shown that they are exactly the quotients of free pro-\(p\)-groups by characteristic subgroups. Moreover, if \(G\) is a pro-\(p\)-group with IP, then the theory of \(S(G)\) is totally categorical, and the isomorphism type of \(G\) is fully determined by the set of isomorphism classes of its finite quotients and by the size of a minimal set of generators.