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If $\Gamma$ is a discrete subgroup of a topological group $G$, then left translation by $\Gamma$ is a covering-space action. Choose an identity neighbourhood $U$ with $U{U}^{-1}\cap \Gamma =\{1\}$; the translates $\gamma U$ are pairwise disjoint, and the quotient map $G\to \Gamma \backslash G$ restricts to a homeomorphism on each translate.

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 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 topological abelian group $A$ with a continuous action of a topological group $G$ by group automorphisms. Continuity means joint continuity of $G\times A\to A$. For a discrete coefficient group this is equivalent to every element of $A$ having an open stabilizer.

A quaternion of norm $1$ is a unit quaternion. They form the topological group $\mathrm{Sp}(1)$ and identify with the sphere $S^3\subset {\mathbb{R}}^4$. Multiplication and inversion preserve the norm. The Hurewicz theorem identifies ${\pi }_3(S^3)$ with $H_3(S^3;\mathbb{Z})$; hence homotopy-group addition in a topological group shows that $q\mapsto q^m$ has mapping degree $m$, rather than $m^2$.