On extension categories and Schur multiplicators of profinite groups (Q801161)

The article is divided into two parts. The object of the first part is to extend the categorical approach to the covering theory of groups introduced by \textit{K. W. Gruenberg} [Cohomological topics in group theory, Lect. Notes Math. 143 (1970; Zbl 0205.327)] in the abstract group case to profinite groups. For this the author defines a suitable homology and cohomology of profinite groups in order to extend naturally the concept of extension categories of groups to the profinite case. This leads to results on the extendability of group homomorphisms to morphisms in extension categories and criterions for the isoclinism of central extensions. The second part is the study of the Schur multiplicator of a given pro-p group G from the knowledge of the Schur multiplicator of a closed normal subgroup N and that of G/N. Among other results a partial answer is given whether the ambient sequence of covering groups is exact, and by categorical arguments it is shown that under certain conditions the dual of the Schur multiplicator of N is a direct summand of that of G. Finally the direct summand relation is used to characterize certain pro-p groups, e.g. orientable Poincaré-duality groups of dimension two.