Permanence criteria for semi-free profinite groups. (Q5962315)

A profinite group \(F\) of infinite rank \(m\) is called \textit{quasi-free} if every nontrivial finite split embedding problem for \(F\) has \(m\) distinct proper solutions. Quasi-freeness was introduced in [\textit{D. Harbater} and \textit{K. F. Stevenson}, Adv. Math. 198, No. 2, 623-653 (2005; Zbl 1104.12003)], where the following motivating property was proved: \(F\) is free if, and only if, \(F\) is projective and quasi-free. The main result in that paper was: if \(k((x,y))\) is the Laurent series field in two variables over an arbitrary field \(k\), then its absolute Galois group \(\text{Gal}(k((x,y)))\) is quasi-free (of rank \(\text{card}(k((x,y)))\)). This was used in [\textit{D. Harbater}, J. Reine Angew. Math. 632, 85-103 (2009; Zbl 1192.12004)] to show that, if \(k\) is a separably closed field, then the maximal Abelian extension \(k((x,y))^{ab}\) of \(k((x,y))\) has a free absolute Galois group. Here, \(\text{Gal}(k((x,y))^{ab})\) is quasi-free because \(\text{Gal}(k((x,y)))\) is, thanks to a general result which asserts that the commutator subgroup of a quasi-free group must be quasi-free. In the present paper, the authors propose the following definition: a profinite group \(F\) of infinite rank \(m\) is called \textit{semi-free} if every nontrivial finite split embedding problem for \(F\) has \(m\) \textit{independent} proper solutions. It is shown that this condition is strictly stronger than quasi-freeness and strictly weaker than freeness. In particular, it can also be combined with projectivity to detect fields with free absolute Galois groups. Semi-freeness is close enough to quasi-freeness in the sense that some known quasi-free absolute Galois groups turn out to be semi-free indeed. For instance, the authors prove that \(\text{Gal}(k((x,y)))\) is semi-free, for every field \(k\). On the other hand, the \textit{independence} additional requirement makes possible to deal with some cases of the problem of whether a closed subgroup of a semi-free \(F\) is itself semi-free. The main result of this paper exhibits several situations in which semi-freeness is preserved, although quasi-freeness may not. Applying their main result, the authors obtain new examples of fields having free absolute Galois groups. These new examples include many field extensions of \(k((x,y))^{ab}\), where \(k\) is a separably closed field.