Semidirect product from a splitting exact sequence

A split extension yields a semidirect product decomposition
Semidirect product from a splitting exact sequence

Proposition (Semidirect product from splitting). Let

1N ι G π Q1 1 \longrightarrow N \xrightarrow{\ \iota\ } G \xrightarrow{\ \pi\ } Q \longrightarrow 1

be an . Suppose the sequence splits, meaning there exists a homomorphism s:QGs:Q\to G (a section) such that πs=idQ\pi\circ s=\mathrm{id}_Q; equivalently, GG is a of QQ by NN.

Then:

  1. ι(N)\iota(N) is a normal subgroup of GG and we may identify NN with ι(N)G\iota(N)\lhd G.
  2. Let φ:QAut(N)\varphi:Q\to \mathrm{Aut}(N) be the homomorphism defined by φ(q)(n):=s(q)ns(q)1(qQ, nN). \varphi(q)(n) := s(q)\,n\,s(q)^{-1}\qquad (q\in Q,\ n\in N). Then GG is isomorphic to the NφQN\rtimes_{\varphi} Q.
  3. Under this isomorphism, every gGg\in G can be written uniquely as g=ns(q)g = n\,s(q) with nNn\in N and qQq\in Q.

Context. This proposition is the standard bridge between abstract extensions and concrete constructions: split exact sequences are exactly semidirect products. The “internal” version is phrased via the inside GG.