Free Profinite Research Articles

A geometric interpretation of the Schützenberger group of a minimal subshift

The first author has associated in a natural way a profinite group to each irreducible subshift. The group in question was initially obtained as a maximal subgroup of a free profinite semigroup. In the case of minimal subshifts, the same group is shown in the present paper to also arise from geometric considerations involving the Rauzy graphs of the subshift. Indeed, the group is shown to be isomorphic to the inverse limit of the profinite completions of the fundamental groups of the Rauzy graphs of the subshift. A further result involving geometric arguments on Rauzy graphs is a criterion for freeness of the profinite group of a minimal subshift based on the Return Theorem of Berth\'e et. al.

Free subgroups of finitely generated free profinite groups

We give new and improved results on the freeness of subgroups of free profinite groups: A subgroup containing the normal closure of a finite word in the elements of a basis is free; Every infinite index subgroup of a finitely generated nonabelian free profinite group is contained in an infinitely generated free profinite subgroup. These results are combined with the twisted wreath product approach of Haran, an observation on the action of compact groups, and a rank counting argument to prove a conjecture of Bary-Soroker, Fehm, and Wiese, thus providing a quite general sufficient condition for subgroups to be free profinite. As a result of our work, we are able to address a conjecture of Jarden on the Hilbertianity of fields generated by torsion points of abelian varieties.

A NOTE ON PSEUDOVARIETIES OF COMPLETELY REGULAR SEMIGROUPS

A paper of Almeida and Trotter [‘The pseudoidentity problem and reducibility for completely regular semigroups’, Bull. Aust. Math. Soc.63 (2001), 407–433] makes essential use of free profinite semigroupoids over profinite graphs with infinitely many vertices. It has since been shown that such structures must be handled with great care. In this note, it is verified that the required properties hold for the profinite graphs considered by Almeida and Trotter, thereby filling the gaps in the proof.

The Zassenhaus filtration, Massey products, and representations of profinite groups

We consider the p-Zassenhaus filtration (Gn) of a profinite group G. Suppose that G=S/N for a free profinite group S and a normal subgroup N of S contained in Sn. Under a cohomological assumption on the n-fold Massey products (which holds, e.g., if G has p-cohomological dimension ≤ 1), we prove that Gn+1 is the intersection of all kernels of upper-triangular unipotent (n+1)-dimensional representations of G over Fp. This extends earlier results by Mináč, Spira, and the author on the structure of absolute Galois groups of fields.

Erratum to: Normal subgroups of the algebraic fundamental group of affine curves in positive characteristic

Let k be an algebraically closed field of characteristic p > 0 of countable cardinality. Denote by C a smooth, connected, affine curve defined over k with function field K and by π1(C) its algebraic fundamental group. In the original paper we addressed the question of the structure of the normal closed subgroups of π1(C). More precisely, in Theorem 1.1, we gave a sufficient condition for such a normal closed subgroup N to be isomorphic to a subgroup of a free profinite group of countable rank. There we claimed to prove this under the hypothesis that the group M = π1(C)/N had an infinitely generated Sylow p-subgroup. However, as remarked in the paragraph after Corollary 1.2 of [1], this hypothesis is not enough. We would like to make this remark more explicit by stating (as noticed by those authors) the additional hypothesis needed to make Theorem 1.1 work. For each integer g ≥ 0 denote by Pg(C) the intersection of algebraic fundamental groups

Presentations of Schützenberger groups of minimal subshifts

In previous work, the first author established a natural bijection between minimal subshifts and maximal regular J-classes of free profinite semigroups. In this paper, the Sch\"utzenberger groups of such J-classes are investigated, in particular in respect to a conjecture proposed by the first author concerning their profinite presentation. The conjecture is established for all non-periodic minimal subshifts associated with substitutions. It entails that it is decidable whether a finite group is a quotient of such a profinite group. As a further application, the Sch\"utzenberger group of the J-class corresponding to the Prouhet-Thue-Morse subshift is shown to admit a somewhat simpler presentation, from which it follows that it has rank three, and that it is non-free relatively to any pseudovariety of groups.

Primitive and measure-preserving systems of elements on the varieties of metabelian and metabelian profinite groups

Given a free metabelian group S of finite rank r, r ≥ 2, we prove that a system of elements g1, ..., gn ∈ S for n = 1 or n = r preserves measure on the variety of all metabelian groups if and only if the system is primitive. Similar results hold for a free profinite group \(\hat S\) and the variety of finite metabelian groups for each n, 1 ≤ n ≤ r. Some corollaries to these theorems are derived.

Free profinite p$p$-rings

In this paper, we introduce the notion of a free profinite p$p$-ring over a boolean space (over a set). We prove that free profinite p$p$-rings over infinite boolean spaces (over infinite sets) are prime. As a consequence, we obtain that every profinite pro-p$p$-ring with 1 is a continuous homomorphic image of a profinite prime ring with 1. In addition, we construct examples of profinite prime rings with non-open radical. For a profinite prime ring that satisfies a polynomial identity over its centroid, the radical is open. Furthermore, we prove that every profinite ring of prime characteristic is a subring of a profinite prime ring.

Frobenius subgroups of free profinite products

We solve an open problem of Herfort and Ribes: profinite Frobenius groups of certain type do occur as closed subgroups of free profinite products of two profinite groups. This also solves a question of Pop about prosolvable subgroups of free profinite products.

ON PROFINITE UNIFORM STRUCTURES DEFINED BY VARIETIES OF FINITE MONOIDS

We consider uniformities associated with a variety of finite monoids V, but we work with arbitrary monoids and not only with free or free profinite monoids. The aim of this paper is to address two general questions on these uniform structures and a few more specialized ones. A first question is whether these uniformities can be defined by a metric or a pseudometric. The second question is the description of continous and uniformly continuous functions. We first give a characterization of these functions in term of recognizable sets and use it to extend a result of Reutenauer and Schützenberger on continuous functions for the pro-group topology. Next we introduce the notion of hereditary continuity and discuss the behaviour of our three main properties (continuity, uniform continuity, hereditary continuity) under composition, product or exponential. In the last section, we analyze the properties of V-uniform continuity when V is the intersection or the join of a family of varieties and we discuss in some detail the case where V is commutative.

Toward a theorem of douady

A theorem of Douady says that the absolute Galois group of a rational function field F(x) in one variable over an algebraically closed field F of characteristic 0 is a free profinite group. A new method is proposed to extend Douady’s theorem from the case of the complex number field F = ℂ to the case of an arbitrary field.

Profinite groups associated to sofic shifts are free

We show that the maximal subgroup of the free profinite semigroup associated by Almeida to an irreducible sofic shift is a free profinite group, generalizing an earlier result of the second author for the case of the full shift (whose corresponding maximal subgroup is the maximal subgroup of the minimal ideal). A corresponding result is proved for certain relatively free profinite semigroups. We also establish some other analogies between the minimal ideal of the free profinite semigroup and the J-class associated to an irreducible sofic shift.

Semidirect product with an order-computable pseudovariety and tameness

The semidirect product of pseudovarieties of semigroups with an order-computable pseudovariety is investigated. The essential tool is the natural representation of the corresponding relatively free profinite semigroups and how it transforms implicit signatures. Several results concerning the behavior of the operation with respect to various kinds of tameness properties are obtained as applications.

Maximal subgroups of the minimal ideal of a free profinite monoid are free

We answer a question of Margolis from 1997 by establishing that the maximal subgroup of the minimal ideal of a finitely generated free profinite monoid is a free profinite group. More generally, if H is variety of finite groups closed under extension and containing ℤ/pℤ for infinitely may primes p, the corresponding result holds for free pro-\( \bar H \) monoids.

A combinatorial property of ideals in free profinite monoids

A combinatorial property of ideals in free profinite monoids is proved.

Rational codes and free profinite monoids

It is well known that clopen subgroups of finitely generated free profinite groups are again finitely generated free profinite groups. Clopen submonoids of free profinite monoids need not be finitely generated nor free. Margolis, Sapir and Weil proved that the closed submonoid generated by a finite code (which is, in fact, clopen) is a free profinite monoid generated by that code. In this note we show that a clopen submonoid is free profinite if and only if it is the closure of a rational free submonoid. In this case its unique closed basis is clopen, and is, in fact, the closure of the corresponding rational code. More generally, our results apply to free pro- H ¯ monoids for H an extension-closed pseudovariety of groups.

Infinite-vertex free profinite semigroupoids and symbolic dynamics

Some fundamental questions about infinite-vertex (free) profinite semigroupoids are clarified, putting in evidence differences with the finite-vertex case. This is done with examples of free profinite semigroupoids generated by the graph of a subshift. It is also proved that for minimal subshifts, the infinite edges of such free profinite semigroupoids form a connected compact groupoid.

Normal subgroups of the algebraic fundamental group of affine curves in positive characteristic

Let π1(C) be the algebraic fundamental group of a smooth connected affine curve, defined over an algebraically closed field of characteristic p > 0 of countable cardinality. Let N be a normal (respectively, characteristic) subgroup of π 1(C). Under the hypothesis that the quotient π 1(C)/N admits an infinitely generated Sylow p-subgroup, we prove that N is indeed isomorphic to a normal (respectively, characteristic) subgroup of a free profinite group of countable cardinality. As a consequence, every proper open subgroup of N is a free profinite group of countable cardinality.

Closed subgroups of free profinite monoids are projective profinite groups

We prove that the class of closed subgroups of free profinite monoids is precisely the class of projective profinite groups. In particular, the profinite groups associated to minimal symbolic dynamical systems by Almeida are projective. Our result answers a question raised by Lubotzky during the lecture of Almeida at the Fields Workshop on Profinite Groups and Applications, Carleton University, August 2005. We also prove that any finite subsemigroup of a free profinite monoid consists of idempotents.

The congruence kernel of an arithmetic lattice in a rank one algebraic group over a local field

Let k be a global field and let kυ be the completion of k with respect to υ a non-archimedean place of k. Let G be a connected, simply-connected algebraic group over k, which is absolutely almost simple of kυ-rank 1. Let G = G(kυ). Let Г be an arithmetic lattice in G and let C = C(Г) be its congruence kernel. Lubotzky has shown that C is infinite, confirming an earlier conjecture of Serre. Here we provide complete solution of the congruence subgroup problem for Г by determining the structure of C. It is shown that C is a free profinite product, one of whose factors is , the free profinite group on countably many generators. The most surprising conclusion from our results is that the structure of C depends only on the characteristic of k. The structure of C is already known for a number of special cases. Perhaps the most important of these is the (non-uniform) example , where is the ring of S-integers in k, with S = {υ}, which plays a central role in the theory of Drinfeld modules. The proof makes use of a decomposition theorem of Lubotzky, arising from the action of Г on the Bruhat-Tits tree associated with G.