On the verbal width of finitely generated pro-\(p\) groups. (Q951992)

Let \(w\) be an element of a free group \(F\) on \(k\) independent generators, i.e., a word in \(k\) variables. A \(w\)-value in a group \(G\) is an element of the form \(g=w(g_1,\dots,g_k)^{\pm 1}\), for suitable \(g_1,\dots,g_k\in G\). Let \(w(G)\) be the subgroup of \(G\) generated by the set \(G^{\{w\}}\) of \(w\)-values in \(G\). It is well-known that if \(G\) is profinite, then the (abstract) subgroup \(w(G)\) is closed if and only if the (verbal) width of \(w\) in \(G\) is finite, i.e., there is \(l\) such that every element of \(w(G)\) is the product of at most \(l\) elements of \(G^{\{w\}}\). It is natural to ask which words have finite width in a finitely generated profinite group. The most important contribution in this context is due to \textit{N.~Nikolov} and \textit{D.~Segal} [Ann. Math. (2) 165, No. 1, 239-273 (2007; Zbl 1126.20018)]; they show among others that if \(w\) is a simple commutator, then \(w\) has finite width in any finitely generated profinite group \(G\). In the main result of the paper under review, the author shows if \(w\in F\) is non-trivial, then \(w(H)\) is closed for every finitely generated pro-\(p\) group \(H\) if and only if \(w\notin (F')^pF''\). Moreover, it is shown that every word has finite verbal width in a compact \(p\)-adic group.