Right-topological semigroup 2026-11-05
A right-topological semigroup is a semigroup with a topology such that, for each fixed , the right translation is a continuous map. The varying input is on the left. Requiring instead gives a left-topological semigroup; requiring multiplication jointly continuous gives a topological semigroup.
For a one-sided example, take all functions with function composition and the product topology, so convergence is pointwise convergence. For fixed , the map is continuous because its value at is the evaluation of at the fixed point .
Left composition can fail to be continuous. Let for and zero otherwise, and let be constant . Then converges pointwise to the zero function, but is constantly one while is constantly zero. Thus right-translation continuity alone does not imply continuity of the other translations.
Topological semigroup Created 2026-09-28 Updated 2026-11-05
A topological semigroup is a semigroup equipped with a topology for which multiplication is a continuous map, using the product topology on . Thus the two inputs vary together. The real numbers under addition are an example.
Continuity of each translation separately is weaker. A left-topological semigroup requires continuous maps for fixed ; a right-topological semigroup instead requires continuous maps . Stating which factor is fixed avoids confusing the two conventions.