Virtual retraction and Howson's theorem in pro-$p$ groups

Abstract

We show that for every finitely generated closed subgroup $K$ of a non-solvable Demushkin group $G$, there exists an open subgroup $U$ of $G$ containing $K$, and a continuous homomorphism $\tau :U\to K$ satisfying $\tau (k)=k$ for every $k\in K$. We prove that the intersection of a pair of finitely generated closed subgroups of a Demushkin group is finitely generated (giving an explicit bound on the number of generators). Furthermore, we show that these properties of Demushkin groups are preserved under free pro-$p$ products, and deduce that Howson's theorem holds for the Sylow subgroups of the absolute Galois group of a number field. Finally, we confirm two conjectures of Ribes, thus classifying the finitely generated pro-$p$ M. Hall groups.