No label defined (Q4258064)

A \textit{geometry} on a topological group \(G\) consists of a basis \(\{ U_s\}_{s\in S}\) for the topology of \(G\) at the identity \(e,\) where \((S,+)\) is a partially ordered semigroup, having the properties: \(U_s\subset U_t\) if and only if \(s\leq t,\) \(\bigcap_{s{\i}S}U_s=\{ e\},\) \(\bigcup_{s\in S}U_s=G,\) \(U_s^{-1}=U_s,\) and \(U_s\cdot U_t=U_{s+t}\) for all \(s,t\in S.\) The geometries over the ordered semigroup \(S=(0,\infty)\) are called real geometries, and they include Banach and Hilbert spaces, Archimedean valuations on fields, and invariant Riemannian metrics on Lie groups. The geometries having a lower curvature in the sense of A. D. Alexandrov are called generalized Riemannian metrics. A covering space theory is developed in a natural way in the case of some particular geometric groups. The article summarizes (generally, without proofs) recent results concerning these notions, and presents some examples. For the entire collection see [Zbl 0914.00060].