\(\tau\)-locally invariant groups (Q1581951)

The author calls a topological group \(G\) \(\tau\)\textit{-locally invariant,} where \(\tau\) is an infinite cardinal, if \(G\) embeds, as a topological subgroup, into the direct product of a family of topological groups of character \(<\tau\), equipped with the Tychonoff product topology. An easy intrinsic reformulation of this property is this: for every neighbourhood of unity, \(V\), the prefilter formed by all conjugates of \(V\) in \(G\) has an open basis of cardinality \(<\tau\). For \(\tau=\aleph_0\) the concept turns into that of a SIN group (group with small invariant subgroups), which was introduced at the early stages of development of abstract Lie theory, in which it keeps playing an important role to the day. The author describes those topological spaces \(X\) whose free topological groups \(F(X)\) are \(\tau\)-locally invariant. Proofs are based on a constructive description of the topology of \(F(X)\) obtained by the author in her earlier paper [Topology Appl. 101, No. 3, 181-212 (2000; Zbl 0943.22003)].