Central Extensions and Cohomology

Abstract

Let G be a group which is topologically a CW-complex, BG a classifying space for G, and A a discrete abelian group. To a central extension of G by A, we associate a cohomology class in $H^2(BG;A)$. We prove this association is injective, and bijective in many cases. A homomorphism of such groups lifts to a central extension iff the pullback of the associated cohomology class vanishes.