We investigate what it means for a (Hausdorff, second-countable) topological group to be computable. We compare several potential definitions based on classical notions in the literature. We relate these notions with the well-established definitions of effective presentability for discrete and profinite groups, and compare our results with similar results in computable topology.

In this paper, we prove using elementary techniques that any group of diffeomorphisms acting on the 2-sphere and properly extending the conformal group of Möbius transformations must be at least 4-transitive or, more precisely, arc 4-transitive. As an important consequence, we derive that any such group must always contain an element of positive topological entropy. We also provide a self-contained characterization, in terms of transitivity, of the Möbius transformations within the full group of sphere diffeomorphisms.

Given a locally finite leafless tree $T$, various algebraic groups over local fields might appear as closed subgroups of $\operatorname{Aut}(T)$. We show that the set of closed cocompact subgroups of $\operatorname{Aut}(T)$ that are isomorphic to a quasi-split simple algebraic group is a closed subset of the Chabauty space of $\operatorname{Aut}(T)$. This is done via a study of the integral Bruhat–Tits model of $\operatorname{SL}_{2}$ and $\operatorname{SU}_{3}^{L/K}$, that we carry on over arbitrary local fields, without any restriction on the (residue) characteristic. In particular, we show that in residue characteristic $2$, the Tits index of simple algebraic subgroups of $\operatorname{Aut}(T)$ is not always preserved under Chabauty limits.

We establish various properties of the definition of cohomology of topological groups given by Grothendieck, Artin and Verdier in SGA4, including a Hochschild–Serre spectral sequence and a continuity theorem for compact groups. We use these properties to compute the cohomology of the Weil group of a totally imaginary field, and of the Weil-étale topology of a number ring recently introduced by Lichtenbaum (both with integer coefficients).