Let $L$ be a regular language over alphabet $\Sigma$.
Let $\frac{1}{2}L$ be the following language: $\{w\in\Sigma^* \mid \exists y\in \Sigma^*: |y|=|w|, wy\in L \}$. For example if $L=\{\epsilon, aba, aaba, babb\}$ then $\frac{1}{2}L=\{\epsilon, aa,ba\}$. Prove that $\frac{1}{2}L$ is a regular language.
An example of proof that I saw uses definition of product automaton:
Because $L$ is a regular language a DFA exists $A=\big( \Sigma, Q,q_0, F,\delta \big)$ which receives $L$. Let $p\in Q$ and we can define a language $L_p$: $$ L_p=\bigl\{ w\in \Sigma^*\mid \exists y\in \Sigma^*:\delta(q_0,w)=p, \delta(p,y)\in F \bigr\} $$ We can define a finite automaton which receives $L_p$: $$ A_p=\bigl(\Sigma, Q\times Q, (q_0,p), \{p\} \times F, \delta_p \bigr) $$ Let us define $\delta_p$ for all $q_1, q_2 \in Q$, $\sigma\in \Sigma$: $$ \delta_p((q_1, q_2), \sigma) = \bigl\{ (\delta(q_1, \sigma), \delta(q_2, \sigma')) \mid \sigma'\in \Sigma \bigr\} $$ Therefore: $$ \frac{1}{2}L=\bigcup_{p\in Q} L_p $$ and because regular languages are closed under finite union then $\frac{1}{2}L$ is a regular language.
I understand that $p$ is some kind of an intermediate state between two halves of a word in $L$. I understand that the set of accepting states $\{p\}\times F$ means that we take some intermediate state $p$ with an accepting state in $L$ and for this there must be a total of $Q\times Q$ available states.
I don't understand why in $\bigl\{ (\delta(q_1, \sigma), \delta(q_2, \sigma')) \mid \sigma'\in \Sigma \bigr\}$ we need to use $\sigma$ and $\sigma'$. For example, if there's a word $aaaa$ ($aa\in \frac{1}{2}L$) in $L$ then $\sigma=a$ and $\sigma'=a$ so why do they need to be different.
Also I don't understand why we need this union: $ \frac{1}{2}L=\bigcup_{p\in Q} L_p$. Are there many different languages $L_p$? Didn't we define a single one?
Hint. There is a missing condition in the definion of $L_p$, which should be $$ L_p = \bigl\{ w\in \Sigma^*\mid \exists y\in \Sigma^*,\ |y| = |w|,\ \delta(q_0,w)=p \text{ and } \delta(p,y)\in F \bigr\} $$ The formula $$ \frac{1}{2}L=\bigcup_{p\in Q} L_p $$ is now correct. Do you understand the other steps?