We study generic properties of topological groups in the sense of Baire category.
First, we investigate countably infinite groups. We extend a classical result of B. H. Neumann, H. Simmons and A. Macintyre on algebraically closed groups and the word problem. Recently, I. Goldbring, S. Kunnawalkam Elayavalli, and Y. Lodha proved that every isomorphism class is meager among countably infinite groups. In contrast, it follows from the work of W. Hodges on model-theoretic forcing that there exists a comeager isomorphism class among countably infinite abelian groups. We present a new elementary proof of this result.
Then, we turn to compact metrizable abelian groups. We use Pontryagin duality to show that there is a comeager isomorphism class among compact metrizable abelian groups. We discuss its connections to the countably infinite case.
Finally, we study compact metrizable groups. We prove that the generic compact metrizable group is neither connected nor totally disconnected; also it is neither torsion-free nor a torsion group.
