Profinite group, and why the product of subgroups is closed

abstract-algebragroup-theoryprofinite-groups

The following lemma is taken from Wilson's book Profinite Groups;

Let $( H_i : i \in I)$ be a family of normal subgroups of a profinite
group $G$.

Assume $G = \overline{< \cup_{i \in I} H_i >}$, and write $K_i =
\overline{< \cup_{j \neq i } H_j >}$
.

Moreover assume that $\cap_{i \in I}K_i = \{e\}$.

Then $G = \prod H_i$.

He starts the proof by noting:

  1. $K_i \cap H_i = \{e\}$ which follows by the assumptions above.

  2. $K_i \triangleleft G$ which follows because $< \cup_{i \in I} H_i >$ is normal, and the closure of a normal subgroup is normal.

  3. $K_iH_i$ is closed.

Why does 3. follow? I know that if $H_i$ was closed then it would follow directly because in a hausdorff, compact group $G$, $C,D$ closed implies that $CD$ is too.

Best Answer

Surely it is intended to be assumed that the $H_i$ are closed. Indeed, the result is not true otherwise. For instance, you could take $I$ to be a singleton and the only $H$ to be a dense normal subgroup and then the result would claim that $G=H$, which certainly does not need to be true in general.

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