Fundamental group in positive characteristic (Q934050)

The author studies the fundamental group of a smooth irreducible affine curve \(X\) over a countable algebraically closed field of positive characteristic. The fundamental group \(\pi_1(X)\) fits in the following short exact sequence: \[ 1 \rightarrow \pi^c_1(X) \rightarrow \pi_1(X) \rightarrow \pi^{\mathrm{ab}}_1(X) \rightarrow 1, \] where \(\pi^c_1(X)\) and \( \pi^{\mathrm{ab}}_1(X)\) denote the commutator subgroup and the abelianization of the fundamental group. Using the Witt vector generalization of Artin-Schreier curves, a description of the \(p\)-part of the abelianization of the fundamental group of \(X\) is given. This result combined with Grothendieck's computation of the prime to \(p\) part of the abelianization of the fundamental group, allows the author to determine explicitly the abelianization of the fundamental group in Corollary 3.5. Also the commutator subgroup \(\pi_1(X)\) is proved to be a profinite free group of countable rank in theorem 1.2. For proving theorem 1.2 the author proves several auxiliary results, connecting the structure of \(\pi\), to the number of solutions of embedding problems. Finally, the author uses results from formal patching theory in order to show that the embedding problems have the proper number of solutions.