Projective products of profinite groups (Q2366363)

The definition of a projective product of profinite groups is given in the paper. Then the following nice characterization of projective profinite products is proved: let \(G\) be a free profinite product of profinite groups \(G_ t\) on a profinite space \(T\) of indices; then a group \(H\) is a projective product of profinite groups \(G_ t\) if and only if \(H = \langle G_ t^{\lambda(t)} \mid t\in T\rangle\) is a closed subgroup of \(G\) generated by conjugates \(G_ t^{\lambda(t)}\) for some continuous map \(\lambda : T \to G\). It follows from the characterization that projective products of the profinite groups \(G_ t\) can be ordered naturally as subgroups of the free profinite product \(G\). In this sense the free product \(G\) of the profinite groups \(G_ t\) is the largest projective product. The author proves also the existence of a smallest projective product under the condition that all \(G_ t\) are nontrivial.