Topological group

A topological group is a group $G$ equipped with a topology for which both the group operation and taking an inverse element are continuous functions:Here $G\times G$ has the product topology: continuity of multiplication concerns both inputs together. Thus nearby motions compose to nearby motions, and undoing a motion also varies continuously. The definition alone does not impose compactness; we state the Hausdorff space assumption explicitly when it is needed.

The additive group $(\mathbb{R},+)$ of real numbers, with its usual topology, is a topological group: $(x,y)\mapsto x+y$ and $x\mapsto -x$ are continuous functions. Its identity element is $0$. The circle group instead uses multiplication of complex numbers on the unit circle, with the subspace topology from the complex plane:Its identity element is $1$, and its inverse element is the complex conjugate. Multiplication on the complex plane and complex conjugation are continuous functions, so their restrictions verify the required continuity. Angles add, but points multiply: a quarter-turn followed by another quarter-turn gives $i\cdot i=-1$, and the next two quarter-turns return to $1$. Ordinary addition would fail to stay on the unit circle, since $1+1=2$.

For any fixed $a\in G$, the translations $x\mapsto ax$ and $x\mapsto xa$ are homeomorphisms, with inverses given by translation by $a^{-1}$. Consequently the neighbourhoods of the identity element determine the entire topology. This is why local information near one motion can control a whole family of symmetries. See Tornier, Haar Measures, section 1.1 for these basic properties of topological groups.

A locally profinite group is a Hausdorff, locally compact, totally disconnected topological group. It has a neighbourhood basis at the identity consisting of compact-open subgroups. In smooth representation theory this is also called an $\ell$-group; that terminology is unrelated to a lattice-ordered group.

A compact-open subgroup is both a compact subset and an open subgroup. Its coset space is discrete, and compact subsets meet only finitely many cosets. Finite intersections of compact-open subgroups are again compact-open, making them useful common stabilizers for finitely many vectors.

A continuous unitary character is a continuous group homomorphism from a topological group to the unit circle with multiplication. For abelian groups, multiplication of continuous unitary characters is pointwise. Such continuous unitary characters must be distinguished from the traces of higher-dimensional group representations, called characters of a representation, and from characters of an algebra.

For every integer $n$, the map ${\chi }_n(z)=z^n$ is a continuous unitary character of the circle group: ${\chi }_n(zw)={\chi }_n(z){\chi }_n(w)$ and $|{\chi }_n(z)|=1$. By contrast, the two-dimensional group representation $\rho (z)=\mathrm{diag}(z,z^{-1})$ has character of a representation $\mathrm{tr}\rho (e^{i\theta })=2\cos \theta$. Its value at the identity element is $2$, so this trace is not a continuous unitary character.

Right translations are isometries for a right-invariant group metric. Given a compatible left-invariant group metric $d$, the formula $d_R(x,y)=d(x^{-1},y^{-1})$ defines a compatible right-invariant group metric, since inversion is a homeomorphism and $(xa{)}^{-1}=a^{-1}{x}^{-1}$. Compatible invariant metrics need not be Lipschitz equivalent; on the additive group $\mathbb{R}$, both $|x-y|$ and $\sqrt{|x-y|}$ are compatible invariant distances.

This is a distance function satisfying the displayed identity, rather than a Riemannian metric tensor. When it induces the group's given topology, it is a compatible left-invariant group metric. Left translations are isometries.

A group distance is bi-invariant when both left and right translations are isometries. Conjugation then fixes the identity element and is an isometry, so each metric ball there is invariant under every inner automorphism. A compatible bi-invariant group metric therefore requires arbitrarily small conjugation-invariant neighbourhoods. This concerns a distance function, not merely a bi-invariant Riemannian metric tensor.

In the orientation-preserving affine group of the real line, translations $T_{1/n}$ converge to the identity element, but conjugation by dilation $D_n$ sends each one to $T_1$. A compatible bi-invariant group metric would give $d(e,T_{1/n})=d(e,T_1)>0$ for every $n$, contradicting convergence. The group is nonetheless metrizable in its ordinary two real coordinates.

A Hausdorff topological group admits a compatible left-invariant group metric exactly when it has a countable neighbourhood basis at the identity element. Choose symmetric neighbourhoods of the identity element $U_n$ with $U_{n+1}^3\subset U_n$ and trivial intersection. Assign a step in $U_n$ cost $2^{-n}$, and take the infimum of total costs of chains joining two points. The dyadic product estimate for group neighbourhoods makes this a genuine compatible metric. The Hausdorff assumption separates distinct points; without it the same construction can give only a pseudometric.

Let $U_0=G$, and let the $U_n$ be decreasing symmetric sets containing the identity element with $U_n^3\subset U_{n-1}$. If $g_j\in U_{n_j}$ and their dyadic costs sum to at most $2^{-n}$ for $n\ge 1$, split the ordered word at an edge crossing its half-cost point. The words on either side each have cost at most $2^{-n-1}$. Induction on word length puts both side words in $U_n$, while the middle edge also belongs to $U_n$. Their threefold product lies in $U_{n-1}$. This controls the short-chain collapse that would otherwise make a path-distance construction degenerate.

A closed subgroup is a subgroup which is a closed set in the ambient topology. It is a topological group in its subspace topology, but need not be an open subgroup.

The additive subgroup $\mathbb{Z}\subset \mathbb{R}$ of integers is a closed subgroup: every noninteger lies in an open interval $(n,n+1)$ avoiding $\mathbb{Z}$. It is also a discrete subgroup, since $(n-1/2,n+1/2)\cap \mathbb{Z}=\{n\}$. Nevertheless it is not an open subgroup of $(\mathbb{R},+)$: every open interval containing an integer contains nonintegers too. Thus having a discrete topology internally says nothing about being an open set in the ambient topology.

An open subgroup is also closed, since its complement is the union of its other open cosets. Conversely a closed subgroup need not be open, as $\mathbb{Z}\subset \mathbb{R}$ shows.

An open normal subgroup $N$ of a topological group is simultaneously open in its topology and invariant under conjugation. For a profinite group, the quotient $G/N$ is a finite discrete group: its cosets form a disjoint open cover, so compactness gives finitely many. Conversely the group homomorphism kernel of a continuous homomorphism to a finite discrete group is open and normal. Such subgroups form an identity-neighbourhood basis of every profinite group.

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 $K$, and $G={\bigcup }_{n\ge 1}{K}^n$ 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.

The compact set $K=\{0\}\cup \{1/n!:n\ge 1\}$ generates the additive group $\mathbb{Q}$, since every positive integer denominator divides some factorial. With its usual topology, $\mathbb{Q}$ is metrizable and is not locally compact. Nor can it have a nonzero Haar measure finite on compact sets: invariance gives equal masses to all singletons; a positive singleton mass makes $K$ have infinite mass, whereas zero singleton masses make the countable group have zero total mass.

// Target: analysis.bigb

A locally compact group is a topological group whose underlying space is a locally compact space. In Haar measure and Fourier transform theory one normally also assumes it is a Hausdorff space. Local compactness supplies compact neighbourhoods, not just compact sets which algebraically generate the group.

A compact identity neighbourhood $K$ produces a symmetric compact neighbourhood $S=K\cup K^{-1}\cup \{e\}$. The subgroup ${\bigcup }_{n\ge 1}{S}^n$ is open because it contains an identity neighbourhood, and is sigma-compact because each finite product $S^n$ is compact. This construction does not require the original group itself to be sigma-compact.

A topology on a group makes it a topological group precisely when its neighbourhood bases satisfy two local tests: every neighbourhood $U$ of $xy$ contains $VW$ for some neighbourhoods $V$ of $x$ and $W$ of $y$, and every neighbourhood of $x^{-1}$ contains $V^{-1}$ for some neighbourhood $V$ of $x$. These are exactly continuity of multiplication in the product topology and continuity of inversion. Equivalently, bases can be chosen as left translates of a basis at the identity, with arbitrarily small squares, inverses and conjugates inside each prescribed identity neighbourhood.

A subgroup $G$ of a topological group is discrete when the identity has a neighbourhood containing no other element of $G$. Translation then isolates every group element. In a Hausdorff topological group, such a subgroup is closed: any accumulation at a point would make differences of distinct nearby group elements approach the identity. Consequently its intersection with a compact set is finite. For isometries of hyperbolic space, this converts compactness of the set of isometries moving one point a bounded distance into a properly discontinuous group action.

For example, $(-1/2,1/2)\cap \mathbb{Z}=\{0\}$ isolates the identity element of the additive discrete subgroup $\mathbb{Z}\subset \mathbb{R}$. Its induced subspace topology is the discrete topology, while the surrounding real numbers retain their usual topology; see closed subgroup for why this subgroup is closed but not open.

A discrete additive subgroup of ${\mathbb{R}}^n$ is generated by real-linearly independent vectors. Indeed, isolation of zero gives uniform separation, so compact sets meet the subgroup finitely. Choose a real basis from the subgroup for its real span. Its integer span has finite index, since reduction into a compact fundamental parallelepiped gives finitely many coset representatives. The structure theorem for finitely generated abelian groups then gives a free integer basis, whose size is the dimension of the real span. Thus the subgroup is a Euclidean lattice in its span, although it need not have full rank in the ambient space.

A nonzero discrete additive subgroup of ${\mathbb{R}}^2$ has a basis of one or two real-linearly independent vectors. Choose a shortest nonzero vector $w_1$. If the subgroup is not contained in its line, reduce parallel components modulo $w_1$ and choose a vector $w_2$ of least positive perpendicular height. Such a height exists: heights tending to zero would give infinitely many reduced points in a bounded region, contrary to discreteness. Reducing any group vector modulo $w_2$ leaves height smaller than this minimum, hence height zero, and reducing along $w_1$ then gives an integer multiple of $w_1$.

A discrete subgroup of ${\mathrm{PSL}}_2(\mathbb{C})$, acting by Möbius transformations on the Riemann sphere or orientation-preserving isometries of hyperbolic space ${\mathbb{H}}^3$. A group may be Kleinian even when some elements fix points; freeness and absence of torsion are additional conditions.

The Gaussian Bianchi group is the Kleinian group of determinant-one two-by-two matrices over the Gaussian integers, modulo $\{\pm I\}$. Its matrix entries lie in a discrete subring of $\mathbb{C}$, so it is a discrete subgroup of $PS{L}_2(\mathbb{C})$. The Borromean link group is a torsion-free subgroup of index 24.

For a non-elementary discrete subgroup generated by $A,B\in \mathrm{SL}(2,\mathbb{C})$, the displayed inequality is a necessary trace constraint. Failure of it proves nondiscreteness when non-elementarity has independently been checked. It is not a sufficient condition for discreteness and must not be applied to an elementary pair without its hypothesis.

A Schottky group is a free, discrete group of Möbius transformations constructed by pairing disjoint Jordan curves on the Riemann sphere, taking the exterior of one bounded disk to the interior of its partner. For round circles it is classical. Strictly separated defining disks give a Cantor set as the limit set of a Kleinian group. The tangent-disk extension permits parabolic elements and is often called a noded or T-Schottky group; its Kleinian limit set need not be a Cantor set.

A Tangent-disk Schottky group uses side-pairing disks with disjoint interiors but permits boundaries to meet. This convention must be distinguished from the strictly separated, purely loxodromic Schottky group convention. For example, the maps $A(z)=z+2$ and $B(z)=z/(iz+1)$ pair the half-plane disks $\Re z<-1,\Re z>1$ and the disks $|z-i|<1,|z+i|<1$. The ping-pong lemma gives a free discrete group. With $C=AB{A}^{-1}{B}^{-1}$, the subgroup generated by $B,C$ is conjugate by $M(z)=iz/(2-z)$ to the principal level-two modular group, generated by $\left(\begin{array}{cc}1& 0\\ 2& 1\end{array}\right)$ and $\left(\begin{array}{cc}1& 2\\ 0& 1\end{array}\right)$. Thus its Kleinian limit set contains the circle $|z-1|=1$ and its translate $|z-3|=1$. Its Hausdorff dimension is at least one and it cannot be homeomorphic to a single circle.

A divergent sequence of Möbius transformations has a subsequence converging uniformly on compact subsets of the Riemann sphere outside one exceptional point to a constant. Represent the transformations by determinant-one $2\times 2$ matrices and divide each by its matrix norm. A convergent subsequence has a nonzero rank-one limit: its determinant tends to zero because the original norms tend to infinity. The kernel line is the exceptional point, and the image line is the constant limit. This converts the limit set of a Kleinian group into a tractable boundary dynamics problem.

A nontrivial finite-order elliptic Möbius transformation fixes an axis in hyperbolic space. The quotient metric has cone angle $2\pi /m$ along that axis for a stabilizer of order $m$, so it is locally an orbifold metric rather than a smooth hyperbolic-manifold metric. The underlying topological quotient may nevertheless be a manifold.

A Kleinian group whose Kleinian limit set contains at least three points. A discrete group fixing a common boundary point has at most two limit points and is therefore elementary.

For a discrete isometry group of hyperbolic space, its limit set is the boundary accumulation set of one interior orbit. All interior base points give the same set: corresponding orbit points stay a fixed hyperbolic distance apart, and bounded-distance sequences approaching the boundary have the same endpoint. This definition does not require finite generation.

Every nonempty closed boundary subset invariant under a non-elementary Kleinian group contains the Kleinian limit set. Such a subset cannot be a singleton. Its hyperbolic convex hull contains an interior point, whose orbit lies in the hull; in the Klein ball model the boundary of this hull is contained in the original closed boundary subset.

The Kleinian limit set of an infinite subgroup is nonempty. If it is normal, its limit set is invariant under the ambient group by base-point independence and conjugation. Minimality of the Kleinian limit set gives one inclusion, and subgroup containment gives the other. Neither properness nor finite generation of the subgroup is needed.

For $n\in \mathbb{Z}[i]$ and a nonzero integer $r$, the displayed determinant-one matrix has trace two and represents a nonidentity parabolic Möbius transformation fixing $n/r$. Its fixed-point equation is $(rz-n{)}^2=0$. These parabolic fixed points are dense in the Riemann sphere, proving that the Gaussian-integer determinant-one Kleinian group has full limit set.

The integer matrices $A=(\begin{array}{cc}1& 2\\ 0& 1\end{array})$ and $B=(\begin{array}{cc}1& 0\\ 2& 1\end{array})$ generate a discrete subgroup. For every nonzero integer $m$, $A^m$ sends $|x|<1$ into $|x|>1$, while $B^m$ sends $|x|>1$, including infinity, into $|x|<1$. The ping-pong lemma identifies their subgroup as the free product of two infinite cyclic groups. This separates the proof of discreteness from the proof of freeness.

A compact group is a topological group whose underlying topological space is a compact Hausdorff space. The circle group is a compact group: the unit circle is a closed bounded subset of the complex plane, so the Heine-Borel theorem gives compactness. The additive group $(\mathbb{R},+)$ is a locally compact group and a Hausdorff space, but is not a compact group: the open cover $\{(-n,n):n\ge 1\}$ has no finite subcover. A finite group with the discrete topology is another compact group; compactness does not require a smooth manifold structure.

The great advantage of a compact group is that one can average over every element without choosing a preferred origin. Precisely, every locally compact group that is a Hausdorff space admits a nonzero left Haar measure $\mu$, a regular Borel measure finite on compact sets, unique up to a positive scalar. Left invariance means $\mu (gA)=\mu (A)$ for every Borel set $A$ and every $g\in G$. There is also a right Haar measure; in general left and right Haar measures can differ. On a compact group, $0<\mu (G)<\infty$, and normalizing to $\mu (G)=1$ gives a unique regular Borel probability measure invariant under both left and right translation. See Tornier, Haar Measures, Theorem 2.2 for existence and uniqueness, and Ram's notes on left and right Haar measure for the distinction.

For a finite group $G$, normalized Haar measure assigns each element mass $1/|G|$, so integration is simply $|G{|}^{-1}{\sum }_{g\in G}f(g)$. For the circle group, the corresponding integral is uniform angle averaging, computed below. On $(\mathbb{R},+)$, Lebesgue measure is a Haar measure, but its total mass is infinite: no positive scalar multiple makes it a probability measure. Thus the existence of Haar measure does not make every topological group a compact group.

Historically, Alfréd Haar introduced the general invariant-measure construction in Der Massbegriff in der Theorie der kontinuierlichen Gruppen, Annals of Mathematics 34 (1933), pp. 147-169. This bibliographic identification is also recorded in André Weil's archived seminar notes, Mesure de Haar, reference Haa33. The conceptual step is to let group symmetry itself determine the weights used in integration, rather than relying on coordinates in an ambient Euclidean space.

On the circle group $\mathbb{T}$, normalized Haar measure is the pushforward measure of uniform angle on $[0,2\pi )$. For a continuous function $f:\mathbb{T}\to \mathbb{C}$, defineThe factor $1/(2\pi )$ makes the integral of the constant function $1$ equal to $1$. For $g=e^{i\varphi }$, a change of angle givesThe last equality uses the $2\pi$-periodic function $u\mapsto f(e^{iu})$. Since the circle group is an abelian group, this also verifies right invariance. An arc of angular length $L$ has normalized Haar measure $L/(2\pi )$. In particular, the arc $A=\{e^{i\theta }:\pi /6\le \theta \le \pi /2\}$ and its quarter-turn $iA$ both have measure $(\pi /2-\pi /6)/(2\pi )=1/6$.

The continuous unitary characters ${\chi }_n(e^{i\theta })=e^{in\theta }$, indexed by integers, give a fully computed family of integrals:Here $n$ must be an integer, so $z^n$ is well defined and $e^{2\pi in}=1$. Every nonconstant mode cancels exactly over a full turn. For example, the integral of $f(e^{i\theta })=3+2\cos \theta -\sin (2\theta )$ is $3$, and the integral of ${\cos }^2\theta =(1+\cos (2\theta ))/2$ is $1/2$. More generally,This is the orthogonality of complex exponentials underlying the Fourier basis and Fourier series: invariant averaging separates distinct frequencies and retains the constant component.

Fix a real angle fraction $\alpha$, and repeatedly multiply by $g=e^{2\pi i\alpha }$ in the circle group. The generated cyclic subgroup is $H_{\alpha }=\{g^k:k\in \mathbb{Z}\}$. Equivalently, the angle fractions are the fractional parts of $k\alpha$, with one full turn identified with zero.

If $\alpha =p/q$ is a rational number in lowest terms, with $q>0$ and $p,q$ coprime, then $g^q=1$ and no smaller positive power is $1$. Hence $H_{\alpha }$ is a finite cyclic group of order $q$, consisting of equally spaced points. For $\alpha =2/7$, the successive angle fractions, starting at $k=0$, areThe subgroup is finite, so it is a closed subgroup of the circle group; it is also a discrete subgroup. It is not an open subgroup, since every ambient neighbourhood of any of its points contains an arc, rather than only these seven points.

If $\alpha$ is an irrational number, no nonzero integer $k$ satisfies $k\alpha \in \mathbb{Z}$, so the powers never repeat. The stronger statement is that $H_{\alpha }$ is a dense set in the circle group: every nonempty open arc contains a power $g^k$. Thus its closure is all of $\mathbb{T}$, while $H_{\alpha }$ itself is a countable proper subgroup and is not a closed subgroup or a discrete subgroup. See irrational rotation and everywhere interval frequency under an irrational rotation for the corresponding motion and its long-term frequencies.

For $\alpha =\sqrt{2}-1$, direct computation of the fractional parts of $k\alpha$ gives, to six decimal places,For example, $\{3\alpha \}=3\sqrt{2}-4\approx 0.242641$ and $\{5\alpha \}=5\sqrt{2}-7\approx 0.071068$. These calculations specify exactly which points the diagram displays.

This example shows why algebraic generation and closure must be distinguished: one irrational rotation generates a countable cyclic subgroup, yet its closure is the whole uncountable compact group.

The Peter-Weyl theorem makes finite-dimensional unitary representations separate elements of a compact group. Intersecting their closed kernels gives the identity subgroup. If the descending chain condition holds for closed subgroups, choose finitely many representations whose kernel intersection is already trivial: otherwise repeatedly exclude a surviving nonidentity element to obtain an infinite strict chain. Their direct sum is a faithful representation into a finite-dimensional unitary group. Compactness makes its image closed, and the closed-subgroup theorem gives the original group a compatible Lie group structure.

A nonempty closed subsemigroup $S$ of a compact group is a subgroup. For $x\in S$ and a neighbourhood $U$ of the identity, choose $V$ with $V^{-1}V\subseteq U$ and cover the compact group by finitely many translates of $V$. Two of sufficiently many powers $1,x,x^2,\dots$ lie in the same translate, so some positive power of $x$ belongs to $U$. Hence the identity is a limit of positive powers and lies in $S$. The preceding powers converge to $x^{-1}$, which also lies in $S$. Applied to the closure of a positive-word monoid, this proves that it equals the closed subgroup generated by its generators, without assuming they already include their inverses.

A profinite group is an inverse limit of finite discrete groups. Equivalently, it is a compact Hausdorff totally disconnected topological group.

An infinite profinite group is just infinite if every nontrivial closed normal subgroup has finite index, equivalently is open. Requiring closedness is part of the topological convention. This property says that every proper Hausdorff quotient is finite.

An infinite profinite group is hereditarily just infinite if every open subgroup is a just-infinite profinite group. To prove this, it suffices to show that every nonidentity element of every open subgroup has open closed normal closure: any nontrivial closed normal subgroup then contains that normal closure. The Nottingham group is an example. In odd characteristic its depth-commutator formula constructs nonzero elements of each sufficiently high layer inside any such normal subgroup, and successive coefficient correction fills the entire tail.

The rank of a profinite group is $\mathrm{rk}(G)={\sup }_{K{\le }_{c}G}d(K)$, where $K$ runs through closed subgroups and $d(K)$ is the least number of topological generators. If an open subgroup $H$ has rank $r$, its normal core $C$ is open and has rank at most $r$. Every closed $K\le G$ has a normal subgroup $K\cap C$ generated by at most $r$ elements, while $K/(K\cap C)$ has order at most $[G:C]$. A finite group of order at most $M$ is generated by at most $\lfloor {\log }_{2}M\rfloor$ elements, since each necessary new generator at least doubles the generated subgroup. Lifting generators yields $d(K)\le r+\lfloor {\log }_2[G:C]\rfloor$. Thus finite rank is preserved in both directions under passage to an open subgroup.

A profinite group $G$ is procyclic if every quotient by an open normal subgroup is cyclic. Equivalently $G=\overline{⟨g⟩}$ for one element $g$. For the forward implication, the sets of lifts of generators of $G/N$ are nonempty clopen sets. Any finite intersection contains a lift of a generator of the cyclic quotient by the intersection of those open normal subgroups. Compactness supplies one element generating every finite quotient, and hence generating densely. The reverse implication follows by projecting that generator. For a pro-p group, two distinct maximal open subgroups would give a quotient $C_p^2$, so a nontrivial procyclic group has a unique maximal open subgroup $M$. Its profinite Frattini subgroup is $M$, and any $g\notin M$ generates topologically: otherwise the proper closed subgroup it generates lies in a maximal open subgroup. The additive group of p-adic integers is an infinite example, generated topologically by $1$.

Every identity neighbourhood of a compact Hausdorff totally disconnected topological group contains an open normal subgroup. Choose a clopen set $U$ containing the identity inside that neighbourhood. Compactness and continuity give a symmetric identity neighbourhood $V$ with $VU\subseteq U$, hence $VU=U$. The setwise stabilizer $H=\{g:gU=U\}$ is an open subgroup contained in $U$. Its index is finite, so its normal core is an open normal subgroup contained in $U$. These subgroups recover the profinite group as the inverse limit of its finite quotients.

The intersection of the maximal proper open subgroups of a profinite group. A subset topologically generates the profinite group exactly when its image topologically generates its quotient by this intersection: a proper closed generated subgroup is contained in a maximal open subgroup, obtained from a suitable finite quotient. For a pro-p group, $\Phi (G)=\overline{G^p[G,G]}$, where the bar denotes closure of the algebraically generated power and commutator subgroups. Closedness cannot simply be discarded in infinite rank.

A profinite abelian group is an inverse limit of finite abelian groups. Its topology is compact and totally disconnected. An abelian pro-p group acquires scalar multiplication by p-adic integers by taking limits of integer multiples.

A pro-$p$ group is an inverse limit of finite $p$-groups. Every continuous action on a finite set or finite module factors through a finite $p$-group. In particular its action on ${\mu }_p$ is trivial when the field characteristic differs from $p$, because $\mathrm{Aut}({\mu }_p)$ has order $p-1$.

A closed subgroup of a profinite group that is a pro-p group with the induced topology. Its images in finite continuous quotients are p-groups.

For a pro-p ring $R$, an $R$-analytic pro-p group is a pro-p group equipped with an analytic manifold structure locally modelled on open subsets of a finite free $R$-module, such that multiplication and inversion are given locally by convergent power series. The number of local coordinates is its analytic dimension. The Nottingham group admits no such structure over any pro-$p$ ring: its hereditary just infiniteness, unbounded finite cyclic torsion and sub-base-three derived-series growth exclude both alternatives in the analytic just-infinite structure theorem.

Over $k={\mathbb{F}}_p$, the Nottingham group is $\mathcal{N}(k)=\{f(t)=t+{\sum }_{i\ge 2}{a}_i{t}^i:a_i\in k\}$ with composition and the $t$-adic topology. Equivalently it is the group of continuous $k$-automorphisms of the Laurent series field $k((t))$ that act trivially on $(t)/(t^2)$. With ordinary series composition, the isomorphism sends $f$ to the automorphism $h(t)\mapsto h(f^{-1}(t))$; this inverse avoids reversing the group product. It is a pro-p group, recovered from its finite truncations, and contains elements of arbitrarily large finite $p$-power order.

Realize a finite p-group $P$ as the Galois group of a totally ramified extension $E/{\mathbb{F}}_p((t))$, using Artin-Schreier embedding problems over a characteristic-p field. A uniformizer $u$ of $E$ gives $E\cong {\mathbb{F}}_p((u))$: every element has a unique convergent Laurent expansion with coefficients in the residue field. An automorphism has $u\mapsto a_{1}u+a_2{u}^2+\cdots$, and $a_1$ defines a homomorphism $P\to {\mathbb{F}}_p^{\times }$. Its image is trivial because $|P|$ is a $p$-power and $p\nmid |{\mathbb{F}}_p^{\times }|$. Thus the faithful Galois action lies in the Nottingham group, embedding $P$.

Put ${\mathcal{N}}_m=\{f:f(t)\equiv t(\mathrm{mod}{t}^{m+1})\}$ for $m\ge 1$. These are open normal subgroups and ${\mathcal{N}}_m/{\mathcal{N}}_{m+1}\cong ({\mathbb{F}}_p,+)$ via the coefficient of $t^{m+1}$. Thus $[\mathcal{N}:{\mathcal{N}}_m]=p^{m-1}$. The depth of a nonidentity series is ${\mathrm{ord}}_t(f(t)-t)-1$. If $f=t+a{t}^{r+1}+\cdots$ and $g=t+b{t}^{s+1}+\cdots$, expansion of substitution givesHere $[f,g]=f^{-1}\circ g^{-1}\circ f\circ g$. This formula controls commutator subgroups and normal subgroups.

For odd $p$, group commutator collection in the depth filtration gives $[{\mathcal{N}}_m,{\mathcal{N}}_m]={\mathcal{N}}_{2m+1}$. Every degree $k\ge 2m+1$ occurs as a leading group commutator degree by choosing $r,s\ge m$, $r+s=k$, and $r\not\equiv s(\mathrm{mod}p)$; changing $r$ by one changes $r-s$ by two. Closed successive coefficient correction then fills the tail. Therefore ${\mathcal{N}}^{(n)}={\mathcal{N}}_{2^{n+1}-1}$ and ${\log }_p[\mathcal{N}:{\mathcal{N}}^{(n)}]=2^{n+1}-2$. In characteristic two the sharper collection theorem gives ${\log }_2[\mathcal{N}:{\mathcal{N}}^{(n)}]\le C{\kappa }^n$ for a constant $C$, with $\kappa =(1+\sqrt{17})/2<3$. In both cases the exponential base is strictly smaller than three.

If a pro-$p$ presentation on $d$ generators and possibly infinitely many relators $r_i$ satisfieswith the sum convergent and $D$ the Magnus degree of a free pro-p group element, then the presented pro-p group is infinite. The Golod-Shafarevich inequality forces its completed group algebra to be infinite-dimensional, which would be impossible for a finite group. This formulation applies to relators whose degrees tend to infinity and is suitable for enumerated power-relation constructions.

A pro-p group whose closed commutator subgroup lies in its closed power subgroup $G^{p^{ϵ}}$, with $ϵ=1$ for odd $p$ and $ϵ=2$ for $p=2$. This is the profinite analogue of a powerful p-group. Finitely generated torsion-free examples are exactly the uniform pro-p groups. The additive group of a finite product of p-adic integers is an abelian example.

The inverse limit of the quotients of an abstract group by its normal subgroups of finite $p$-power index. Maps to pro-p groups factor uniquely through the canonical dense image in this completion. Unlike profinite completion, only finite p-groups are used.

For finite $X$, this is the pro-p completion of the free group on $X$. Every function from $X$ to a pro-p group extends uniquely to a continuous group homomorphism. More generally one can require a basis tending to the identity and impose the universal property for maps with that convergence condition; alternatively the pro-$p$ completion of the abstract free group represents unrestricted maps from an arbitrary set. These infinite-rank conventions should not be conflated when interpreting generator cardinalities.

Embed a free pro-p group on $x_1,\dots ,x_d$ into the units of the noncommutative power-series algebra ${\mathbb{F}}_p⟨⟨X_1,\dots ,X_d⟩⟩$ by $x_i\mapsto 1+X_i$. Its Magnus degree is the lowest total degree occurring in $\iota (w)-1$, with $D(1)=\infty$. Since $(1+v{)}^{p^e}=1+v^{p^e}$ in characteristic $p$, one has $D(w^{p^e})\ge p^{e}D(w)$. High powers therefore impose relations with small weight at any fixed parameter $0<\tau <1$.

A finite generating set and finitely many relators in a free pro-p group, divided out by their closed normal closure. Relators are elements of the free pro-p group; they need not be finite ordinary words. A pro-p group with such a presentation is finitely presented in the pro-$p$ category.

Suppose $K$ is an open normal subgroup of a pro-p group $G$ and has a finite pro-p presentation. Choose lifts of generators of the finite quotient $G/K$. Add finitely many relators giving their conjugation and inverse conjugation on the generators of $K$, and replace each quotient relator by its value in $K$. The resulting finite finite pro-p presentation maps onto $G$. Its closed subgroup generated by the kernel generators is isomorphic to $K$, and its quotient by that subgroup is exactly $G/K$, so the map is also injective.

For a finitely generated pro-p group, its profinite Frattini subgroup has finite elementary abelian quotient. Continuous group homomorphisms to ${\mathbb{F}}_p$ are precisely the linear functionals on this quotient. The topological generation criterion identifies a minimal generating set with a basis, giving the displayed equality. Finite generation is essential when generator number means the least cardinality of an unrestricted dense generating family.

Let $I$ be the set of infinite binary sequences and $G={\mathbb{F}}_p^I$ with its product topology. Index the finite binary strings by the positive integers. For each $n$, take the element whose $r$ coordinate is one exactly when the $n$th string is a prefix of $r$. These countably many elements generate a dense subgroup: given finitely many distinct sequences, sufficiently long prefixes distinguish them individually. No finite family generates $G$, so its topological generator number is countable. Every continuous linear functional depends on finitely many coordinates, however, so $H^1(G,{\mathbb{F}}_p)$ has a basis of size $|I|=2^{{\aleph }_0}$. Thus the arbitrary-rank identity is false for unrestricted topological generating sets.

A finitely generated powerful p-group in the category of pro-p groups is uniform if all successive indices in its lower p-series are equal. Equivalently it is torsion-free. If its generator number is $d$, the successive indices are $p^d$, the power map carries $G^{p^n}$ bijectively onto $G^{p^{n+1}}$, and an ordered minimal generating set gives unique coordinates $g_1^{{\lambda }_1}\cdots g_d^{{\lambda }_d}$ with ${\lambda }_i$ in the p-adic integers. For $p=2$, powerfulness means $[G,G]\le G^4$.

For an odd prime $p$, the matrix logarithm and matrix exponential are inverse maps between $1+p{M}_d({\mathbb{Z}}_p)$ and $p{M}_d({\mathbb{Z}}_p)$. They imply that the $p$th-power map carries $U_m$ bijectively onto $U_{m+1}$. Direct multiplication gives $[U_i,U_j]\subseteq U_{i+j}$, so the group is a powerful pro-p group. The quotient $U_m/U_{m+1}$ is the additive matrix space over ${\mathbb{F}}_p$, with constant index $p^{d^2}$. The $d^2$ matrices $1+p{E}_{ij}$ topologically generate, by successive approximation through these quotients. The lower p-series is exactly $U_m$, so the group is a uniform pro-p group and a torsion-free group. At $p=2$ the first congruence subgroup contains $-I$ and is not uniform.

For odd $p$ and a finitely generated powerful pro-p group, put $U_j=G^{p^j}$. The displayed group homomorphisms are surjective. If one has a nonzero kernel, choose $x\in U_j\setminus U_{j+1}$ with $x^p\in U_{j+2}$. Successive corrections $x\mapsto x{u}_r$, with $u_r\in U_r$, cancel its $p$-th power one layer at a time, using $(x{u}_r{)}^p\equiv x^p{u}_r^p(\mathrm{mod}{U}_{r+2})$. Compactness and the separated power filtration give a nonidentity limit of order $p$. Thus a torsion-free group has constant layer indices and is a uniform pro-p group. Conversely constant indices make every displayed map injective; comparison at the first differing power layer proves that $x\mapsto x^p$ is injective, so there is no nontrivial torsion.

Every uniform pro-p group embeds continuously in ${\mathrm{GL}}_n({\mathbb{Z}}_p)$ for some finite $n$. Apply the Ado theorem to ${\mathbb{Q}}_p\otimes L_G$ and choose a deep power lattice whose representing matrices lie in $p\mathrm{End}(\Lambda )$, or $4\mathrm{End}(\Lambda )$ at $p=2$. The matrix exponential and logarithm give a faithful representation of the corresponding open normal power subgroup. Induce that representation to the whole group using its finitely many cosets. An element outside the open subgroup permutes the coset blocks nontrivially; an element inside it is detected by the original representation. Thus the induced representation is faithful. All block matrices preserve a finite free ${\mathbb{Z}}_p$-module, giving the integral embedding.

For a uniform pro-p group with $U_i=G^{p^i}$, the map $x\mapsto x^{p^a}$ transports congruences byCommutator collection gives $(yu{)}^p\equiv y^p{u}^p(\mathrm{mod}{U}_{b+2})$ for $u\in U_b$, and the power map is an isomorphism $U_b/U_{b+1}\to U_{b+1}/U_{b+2}$. Thus a nontrivial first difference moves down exactly one layer when taking a $p$th power. Iterating gives the equivalence; completeness supplies unique roots when the congruence is read in reverse.

For a uniform pro-p group, the power map $x\mapsto x^{p^n}$ is a homeomorphism onto $G^{p^n}$. Transport multiplication back to $G$ byUnique roots make this an associative group operation. For odd $p$, group commutator collection gives $x{+}_{n}y\equiv y{+}_{n}x(\mathrm{mod}{G}^{p^{n+1}})$ and $x{+}_{n}y\equiv x{+}_{n-1}y(\mathrm{mod}{G}^{p^n})$. The operations converge to addition in the Lie algebra of a uniform pro-p group.

The Lie algebra of a uniform pro-p group construction and BCH convergence on a powerful Lie lattice are mutually inverse on objects and morphisms. On the group side morphisms are continuous group homomorphisms; on the lattice side they are linear Lie algebra homomorphisms over the p-adic integers. A group homomorphism respects powers, roots and limits, and a Lie homomorphism respects every convergent Baker--Campbell--Hausdorff formula term.

The Lie algebra of a uniform pro-p group construction and BCH convergence on a powerful Lie lattice are mutually inverse on objects and morphisms. On the group side morphisms are continuous group homomorphisms; on the lattice side they are linear Lie algebra homomorphisms over the p-adic integers. A group homomorphism respects powers, roots and limits, and a Lie homomorphism respects every convergent Baker--Campbell--Hausdorff formula term.

Every abstract subgroup of finite index in a finitely generated pro-p group is open. Fixed-generator commutator collection in nilpotent groups makes the abstract commutator subgroup closed. The resulting abelian quotient is a quotient of a finite power of the p-adic integers, so its subgroup of $p$th powers is closed and of finite index. Thus the algebraic $G^p[G,G]$ is open and every abstract index-$p$ subgroup is open. An arbitrary finite quotient is a finite p-group; induction on its order, using a normal subgroup of index $p$ and the Schreier lemma, gives the assertion. The normal core reduces nonnormal finite-index subgroups to this case.

A Sylow pro-$p$ subgroup of a profinite group is a closed pro-$p$ subgroup whose images are Sylow $p$-subgroups in every finite quotient. Such subgroups exist and are conjugate. Every open subgroup containing one has index prime to $p$. They allow prime-to-$p$ finite extensions to detect $p$-primary Galois cohomology.

The profinite topology on a group takes the cosets of finite-index normal subgroups as a neighborhood basis. A profinite group carries the inverse-limit topology from its finite quotients.

The profinite topology on $\mathbb{Z}$ has basis the residue classes $a+k\mathbb{Z}$, $k\ge 1$. These classes are both open and closed, since their complements are finite unions of other residue classes. Set $F_n=(4^n-1)/3+4^n\mathbb{Z}$ for $n\ge 1$. Then $F_{n+1}\subseteq F_n$ and every $F_n$ is nonempty. An integer $x$ in their intersection would make $3x+1$ divisible by every $4^n$, forcing $3x+1=0$, impossible. Thus the open complements $\mathbb{Z}\setminus F_n$ form an increasing cover with no finite subcover. The topology is Hausdorff because distinct integers are distinct modulo a sufficiently large integer, but is not compact.

An inverse limit carries the coarsest topology making every coordinate projection map continuous. It is the subspace topology inherited from the product of the component spaces.

The profinite completion of a group $G$ is the inverse limit of its finite quotient groups:The canonical map $G\to \hat{G}$ has dense image and is injective exactly when $G$ is residually finite.

Every homomorphism from a group $G$ to a profinite group $P$ extends uniquely to a continuous homomorphism $\hat{G}\to P$. Construct the extension on every finite quotient of $P$ and invoke the universal property of an inverse limit; uniqueness follows from the density of $G$ in $\hat{G}$.

A subset $S$ of a topological group topologically generates it when the ordinary subgroup $⟨S⟩$ is dense.

An element of a topological generating set of a topological group. A finite tuple consists of topological generators when the abstract subgroup it generates is dense in the group; it need not equal that abstract subgroup.

A topological group is topologically finitely generated when it has a finite topological generating set.

For a profinite group $G={\underleftarrow{\lim }}_j{G}_j$, a subset $S\subseteq G$ is a topological generating set exactly when $⟨p_j(S)⟩=p_j(G)$ in every finite quotient. Indeed, a subgroup of a profinite group is dense exactly when its image in every finite continuous quotient is surjective.