Compactly generated group 2026-10-14
A topological group is compactly generated in the algebraic sense when a compact subset generates its underlying group. Adjoining its inverse and the identity gives a compact symmetric generating set , and is a sigma-compact space. Some conventions restrict the term to locally compact groups or require a compact generating neighbourhood; those stronger conventions supply local compactness. Compact generation by an arbitrary compact subset alone does not.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2008 iii Paper 9 1 e Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
True. Choose a compact neighbourhood of the identity in the locally compact group and put . Inversion is a homeomorphism, so is compact; it is symmetric and still a neighbourhood of . DefineThe identity belongs to , so these powers are increasing. Symmetry gives , and gives closure under multiplication; hence is a subgroup. Each is compact, being the continuous image of the finite product of compact spaces. Thus is a sigma-compact space. Finally contains some open identity neighbourhood , and is open. This constructs the required sigma-compact open subgroup of a locally compact group. The argument also works without Hausdorffness if local compactness means possession of compact neighbourhoods.