The category \(\mathcal{PME}(G,\mathcal V)\) and generalized covering groups (Q5936153)

Let \(\mathcal V\) be a variety of groups and let \(V(G)\) and \(V^*(G)\) denote, respectively, the corresponding word and marginal subgroups of a group \(G\). The group \(G\) is said to be \(\mathcal V\)-perfect if \(G=V(G)\) and the extension \(1\to A\to H\to G\to 1\) is \(\mathcal V\)-marginal if \(A\subseteq V(H)\) and \(\mathcal V\)-perfect if \(H\) is \(\mathcal V\)-perfect. It is a \(\mathcal V\)-stem extension of \(G\) if \(A\subseteq V(B)\cap V^*(B)\), and a \(\mathcal V\)-stem cover when \(A\) is also the Baer invariant of \(G\) with respect to \(\mathcal V\). A \(\mathcal V\)-marginal extension is called universal if it uniquely covers any \(\mathcal V\)-perfect-marginal extension by \(G\). The set of all \(\mathcal V\)-perfect-marginal extensions by \(G\), together with the appropriate morphisms, forms a category, denoted by \(\mathcal{PME}(G,{\mathcal V})\) which is non-empty if and only if \(G\) is \(\mathcal V\)-perfect and the universal object of this category is the unique \(\mathcal V\)-stem cover of \(G\).