Submitted:
27 September 2026
Posted:
09 October 2026
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Abstract
We introduce and investigate Einstein bitopological gyrogroups, namely Einstein gyrogroups endowed with two compatible topologies. The construction is motivated by the Einstein velocity addition law from special relativity and by the gyrogroup theory developed by Ungar. The additional topological structure permits one to distinguish two possibly different notions of continuity, convergence, compactness, and local regularity on the same Einstein gyrogroup. We first recall the Einstein addition law on the open unit ball and the associated gyrogroup structure. We then introduce bitopological Einstein gyrogroups and define pairwise continuous gyrogroup operations, pairwise continuous gyrations, and bitopological Einstein gyrohomomorphisms. Several basic properties are established, including pairwise continuity of translations, inversion, and gyrations. We further study pairwise Hausdorffness, pairwise compactness, separation properties, and the relationship between the two topologies. Examples are given in which the two topologies coincide and in which they are genuinely distinct. Finally, we discuss Einstein bitopological gyrovector spaces and indicate connections with hyperbolic geometry, Lorentz transformations, and future developments in differential and geometric structures on bitopological gyrogroups.
Keywords:
Einstein addition
; gyrogroup
; Einstein gyrogroup
; bitopological space
; pairwise continuity
; gyroautomorphism
; gyration
; gyrovector space
; hyperbolic geometry
; special relativity
MSC: 20N05; 54A10; 54C05; 54E35; 53C30; 83A05
1. Introduction
The ordinary addition of vectors is commutative and associative. In special relativity, however, the addition of relativistic velocities is neither commutative nor associative in the ordinary sense. Nevertheless, it satisfies a remarkable collection of group-like identities. These identities led Ungar to the theory of gyrogroups and gyrovector spaces [2,3,4]. In particular, the Einstein velocity addition law on the open ball of admissible velocities provides one of the fundamental examples of a gyrogroup. The corresponding gyrations encode the rotational phenomenon associated with Thomas precession. The systematic development of Einstein gyrogroups and gyrovector spaces is given in [2,4]; see also [6] for a modern treatment of gyrovector spaces and hyperbolic geometry. A bitopological space is a set equipped with two topologies. Thus, instead of considering only one topology on a set X , one considers a triple . The two topologies can describe two different modes of convergence, continuity, or local behavior. The classical theory of bitopological spaces goes back to Kelly’s work on spaces with two topologies [1]. The purpose of this paper is to combine these two structures. Specifically, we introduce the notion of an Einstein bitopological gyrogroup . The basic object is a set G carrying an Einstein-type gyrogroup operation ⊕ and two topologies and such that the gyrogroup operations are compatible with both topologies. This construction is related to, but distinct from, Ungar’s theory of Einstein bi-gyrogroups. Einstein bi-gyrogroups concern algebraic generalizations associated with generalized Lorentz transformations and bi-gyrovector spaces [5]. In the present paper, the prefix “bi” in bitopological refers instead to the presence of two topologies on the same gyrogroup. The main goals are:
- (i)
- to define Einstein bitopological gyrogroups rigorously;
- (ii)
- to formulate pairwise continuity for gyrogroup operations;
- (iii)
- to study left and right gyrotranslations;
- (iv)
- to analyze the continuity of gyrations;
- (v)
- to introduce bitopological Einstein gyrohomomorphisms;
- (vi)
- to investigate pairwise separation and compactness properties;
- (vii)
- to establish examples arising from the Einstein ball.
The resulting theory provides a natural meeting point of nonassociative algebra, topology, hyperbolic geometry, and special relativity.
2. Bitopological Spaces
We begin with the basic topological framework.
Definition 2.1.
A bitopological space is a triple , where and are topologies on the same underlying set X.
The two topologies are allowed to be equal, but the principal interest is in the case .
’
Definition 2.2.
Let , be bitopological spaces. A map is called pairwise continuous if is continuous for .
Thus pairwise continuity requires the same index to be preserved: , .
Definition 2.3.
A bitopological space is called pairwise Hausdorff if for every two distinct points there exist , such that .
One may also consider the stronger situation in which each topology is Hausdorff separately.
Definition 2.4.
A bitopological space is called pairwise compact if every cover of X by sets belonging to has a finite subcover.
The theory of bitopological spaces provides a useful framework for studying structures in which two different topological descriptions are naturally present [1].
3. Einstein Addition
Let be the speed of light and define
For simplicity, we frequently normalize and write
The Einstein addition of velocities is the relativistic replacement for ordinary vector addition. For , it may be written as
where
Equivalent formulations of Einstein addition occur in the literature; the resulting operation is the fundamental example underlying Einstein gyrogroups [2,4]. In one dimension, the formula simplifies dramatically:
For we obtain
The operation is generally not associative:
It is also generally noncommutative in dimensions greater than one. The failure of associativity and commutativity is organized by gyroautomorphisms, called gyrations [2,5].
4. Gyrogroups
We recall the algebraic structure needed below.
Definition 4.1.
A set G equipped with a binary operation ⊕ is called a gyrogroup if there exists an element and a family of maps
such that the following axioms hold.
- (G1)
- for every .
- (G2)
- For every there exists an element such that
- (G3)
- For all ,
- (G4)
- Every is an automorphism of .
- (G5)
- The left loop property holds:
These axioms abstract the algebraic structure of Einstein velocity addition [2,4].
The operation
is called gyrogroup subtraction.
Definition 4.2.
A gyrogroup is called gyrocommutative if
for all .
The Einstein gyrogroup is gyrocommutative [2,4].
5. Einstein Gyrogroups
The open ball
with Einstein addition is the principal geometric example.
Theorem 5.1.
The pair
is a gyrocommutative gyrogroup.
Proof.
The identity is the zero velocity:
The inverse of v is :
The failure of ordinary associativity is measured by the gyration:
The Einstein gyrations are automorphisms of the Einstein gyrogroup, and the corresponding loop property holds. Finally,
which is the gyrocommutative law. These are standard properties of the Einstein gyrogroup [2,4]. □
The gyrations have a direct physical interpretation in terms of Thomas precession. Their mathematical role is to compensate for the nonassociativity of Einstein velocity addition [2].
6. Einstein Bitopological Gyrogroups
We now introduce the principal definition of the paper.
Definition 6.1.
An Einstein bitopological gyrogroup is a quadruple such that:
- (i)
- is an Einstein gyrogroup;
- (ii)
- is a bitopological space;
- (iii)
- the operationis pairwise continuous;
- (iv)
- the inversion mapis pairwise continuous;
- (v)
- for every , the gyration is pairwise continuous.
Pairwise continuity of the operation means that
is continuous for . The requirement on gyrations is important because gyrogroup associativity is expressed through these maps.
Remark 6.2.
The definition allows . In that case the bitopological structure reduces to an ordinary topological Einstein gyrogroup. The genuinely new situation occurs when .
7. Einstein Gyrotranslations
For , define the left Einstein gyrotranslation
Similarly, define the right translation
Proposition 7.1.
Let be an Einstein bitopological gyrogroup. Then every left gyrotranslation is pairwise continuous.
Proof.
For each , consider the map
The map is continuous with respect to . Since is continuous,
is continuous with respect to . Hence is pairwise continuous. □
The inverse of is
Corollary 7.2.
Every left Einstein gyrotranslation is a pairwise homeomorphism.
Proof.
Both and are pairwise continuous. □
The corresponding statement holds for right translations whenever the chosen topological structure makes the right translations continuous.
8. Continuity of Gyrations
The gyration maps are fundamental in the topological theory.
Proposition 8.1.
Let be an Einstein bitopological gyrogroup. For every ,
is a pairwise homeomorphism.
Proof.
By definition, every gyration is a gyrogroup automorphism. Furthermore, the definition of an Einstein bitopological gyrogroup requires to be pairwise continuous. Since the inverse of a gyration is again a gyration,
in the standard Einstein gyrogroup setting, the inverse is also pairwise continuous. Hence is a pairwise homeomorphism. □
The presence of pairwise homeomorphic gyrations means that the two topologies are compatible with the fundamental nonassociative symmetries of the Einstein gyrogroup.
9. The Standard Einstein Bitopological Example
The most immediate example is obtained by placing two different topologies on the Einstein ball. Let
Let denote the Euclidean topology restricted to . Let denote the topology induced by the corresponding hyperbolic metric.
Example 9.1.
The quadruple
provides a natural Einstein bitopological gyrogroup whenever the hyperbolic and Euclidean structures are taken in their standard compatible forms.
The geometric reason for considering both topologies is that Einstein addition is simultaneously related to relativistic velocity space and to hyperbolic geometry. Gyrovector-space methods provide a framework in which hyperbolic geometry can be expressed using gyrogroup operations [3,4,6].
Remark 9.2.
In finite-dimensional open-ball models, the Euclidean and standard hyperbolic topologies have the same underlying open sets. Therefore this example may have as topologies, even though the corresponding geometric metrics are different. To obtain a genuinely distinct bitopological example one must choose two distinct topologies that remain compatible with the Einstein operation.
10. Pairwise Einstein Gyrohomomorphisms
We next introduce the appropriate morphisms.
Definition 10.1.
Let
be Einstein bitopological gyrogroups. A map
is called an Einstein bitopological gyrohomomorphism if
- (i)
- for all ;
- (ii)
- is continuous for .
If f is bijective and is also pairwise continuous, then f is called an Einstein bitopological gyroisomorphism .
Proposition 10.2.
Every Einstein bitopological gyrohomomorphism preserves the gyrogroup identity and inverses.
Proof.
Let and denote the identities. Then
The cancellation property of gyrogroups implies
Similarly,
Hence
□
11. Pairwise Convergence
The two topologies generate two possibly different notions of convergence.
Definition 11.1.
A sequence in an Einstein bitopological gyrogroup is said to converge pairwise to x if with respect to both and .
Thus
Proposition 11.2.
Suppose
pairwise. Then
pairwise.
Proof.
For each , pairwise continuity of gives
in . Therefore
in . The assertion follows for both . □
Likewise,
pairwise.
12. Pairwise Separation
Topological separation properties can be transferred to the Einstein gyrogroup setting.
Definition 12.1.
An Einstein bitopological gyrogroup is called pairwise if for every two distinct points , there exists either a -open or a -open set containing one of the points but not the other.
Definition 12.2.
An Einstein bitopological gyrogroup is called pairwise if for every two distinct points , there exist such that
and
The translation structure implies that separation properties can often be reduced to neighborhoods of the identity.
Definition 12.3.
Let G be an Einstein bitopological gyrogroup. Suppose that each is invariant under left Einstein gyrotranslations. Then local separation properties at 0 determine corresponding global separation properties.
Proof.
Let with . Apply the pairwise homeomorphism . Then
while
Since is a homeomorphism in each topology, a separating neighborhood system at 0 can be translated to a separating neighborhood system at x and y . □
13. Pairwise Compactness
Compactness is another natural property in the bitopological setting.
Definition 13.1.
An Einstein bitopological gyrogroup
is called pairwise compact if the bitopological space is pairwise compact.
When the two topologies coincide, this reduces to ordinary compactness.
Proposition 13.2.
Let G be pairwise compact and let
be a pairwise continuous Einstein gyrohomomorphism. Then is pairwise compact in the subspace bitopology.
Proof.
Let be a cover of by sets open in one of the two induced topologies. Then
is a corresponding pairwise-open cover of G . Pairwise compactness provides a finite subcover. Its image gives a finite subcover of . □
14. Einstein Bitopological Gyrovector Spaces
The theory becomes richer when scalar multiplication is included.
Definition 14.1.
An Einstein bitopological gyrovector space is a structure
such that
- (i)
- is an Einstein gyrocommutative gyrogroup;
- (ii)
- scalar multiplication is defined;
- (iii)
- is a bitopological space;
- (iv)
- gyroaddition, scalar multiplication, inversion, and gyrations are pairwise continuous.
The Einstein gyrovector space provides a nonlinear analogue of a vector space. Its geometry is closely related to hyperbolic geometry [3,4,6]. For and , we write for Einstein scalar multiplication. Pairwise continuity means that for ,
is continuous, where is the ordinary topology of .
15. Differential Considerations
Suppose now that the two topologies arise from smooth structures. One may consider
where and admit compatible differentiable structures. In such a situation one can investigate the differential of an Einstein gyrotranslation . At the identity,
provides a natural analogue of the differential of a Lie-group translation. Similarly, if the gyrations are smooth, one obtains
This suggests the possibility of developing a differential geometry of Einstein bitopological gyrogroups in which the two tangent structures
are studied simultaneously. A particularly interesting question is when there exists a canonical identification
Such questions connect the present theory with bitopological manifolds and Lie-type structures.
16. Relation with Lorentz Geometry
The Einstein gyrogroup is naturally connected with Lorentz transformations. The Einstein addition law describes the composition of relativistically admissible velocities, while gyrations encode the rotational component generated by successive non-collinear boosts. Ungar’s theory develops this relationship between Einstein addition, gyrogroups, gyrovector spaces, and Lorentz transformations in detail [2,4]. More general structures called Einstein bi-gyrogroups and bi-gyrovector spaces have also been developed in connection with generalized Lorentz transformations [5]. The bitopological formulation proposed here is different in emphasis: the two structures , are topological structures on the same Einstein gyrogroup. This distinction may be summarized schematically as
The construction therefore provides a topological framework in which relativistic algebra and dual topological structures can be studied simultaneously.
17. Examples
Example 17.1.
(The trivial bitopological structure). Let with Einstein addition and let where is the Euclidean topology. Then is an Einstein bitopological gyrogroup.
Example 17.2.
(A two-metric formulation). Let and be two metrics on the Einstein ball such that Einstein addition and gyrations are continuous with respect to both metrics. Let
Then
is an Einstein bitopological gyrogroup.
Example 17.3.
(Discrete–Euclidean structure). Let and let be the discrete topology while is the Euclidean topology. Pairwise continuity of the Einstein operation must then be checked carefully; in general the discrete topology imposes a strong requirement on maps into . This example illustrates that arbitrary pairs of topologies do not automatically produce an Einstein bitopological gyrogroup.
Example 17.4.
(Subgyrogroups). Let be an Einstein subgyrogroup and equip H with the subspace topologies
Whenever the corresponding operations are pairwise continuous,
is an Einstein bitopological gyrogroup.
18. Further Structural Properties
The bitopological structure allows us to formulate several natural questions. First, one may ask when the two topologies are comparable:
If, for example,
then every -open set is also -open, and the second topology is finer. Second, one may ask whether the gyration group
acts by pairwise homeomorphisms on G .
Proposition 18.1.
Let G be an Einstein bitopological gyrogroup. The group generated by all gyrations acts on G by pairwise homeomorphisms.
Proof.
Each generator is a pairwise homeomorphism. The composition of pairwise homeomorphisms is again a pairwise homeomorphism, as is the inverse. Hence every element of acts by a pairwise homeomorphism. □
Thus the bitopological structure is invariant under the natural internal symmetries generated by gyrations.
19. A Neighborhood Characterization
Let denote the neighborhood system of 0 with respect to . Because left gyrotranslations are homeomorphisms, neighborhoods of an arbitrary point can be obtained from neighborhoods of the identity.
Proposition 19.1.
For every and ,
Proof.
Since
is a homeomorphism with respect to , it maps neighborhoods of 0 bijectively onto neighborhoods of a . □
This observation shows that much of the global bitopological structure is encoded in the local behavior around the gyrogroup identity.
20. Conclusion
We introduced the notion of an Einstein bitopological gyrogroup by combining the Einstein gyrogroup structure with two compatible topologies. The construction extends the topological viewpoint of gyrogroups by allowing two simultaneous notions of continuity, convergence, separation, and compactness. The central structure is , where is an Einstein gyrogroup and both topologies are compatible with Einstein addition, inversion, and gyrations. The theory is motivated by the fact that Einstein velocity addition provides a natural nonassociative algebraic structure arising from special relativity, while bitopological spaces provide a natural framework for studying two topological structures on one underlying set. The combination therefore provides a possible framework for future investigations in nonassociative topology, hyperbolic geometry, and mathematical relativity. In particular, the development of smooth Einstein bitopological gyrogroups may lead to a differential geometry in which two tangent structures coexist and interact with Einstein gyrotranslations and gyrations. This direction appears especially promising for the study of geometric structures associated with relativistic velocity spaces.
References
- J. C. Kelly, Bitopological spaces, Proceedings of the London Mathematical Society 13 (1963), 71–89.
- A. A. Ungar, Beyond the Einstein Addition Law and its Gyroscopic Thomas Precession: The Theory of Gyrogroups and Gyrovector Spaces , Fundamental Theories of Physics, Vol. 117, Springer, Dordrecht, 2001. [CrossRef]
- A. A. Ungar, Analytic Hyperbolic Geometry: Mathematical Foundations and Applications , World Scientific, Singapore, 2005.
- A. A. Ungar, Analytic Hyperbolic Geometry and Albert Einstein’s Special Theory of Relativity , World Scientific, Singapore, 2008.
- A. A. Ungar, Beyond Pseudo-Rotations in Pseudo-Euclidean Spaces: The Theory of Bi-Gyrogroups and Bi-Gyrovector Spaces , Elsevier, 2018.
- A. A. Ungar, A Gyrovector Space Approach to Hyperbolic Geometry , Synthesis Lectures on Mathematics and Statistics, Springer, Cham, 2022. [CrossRef]
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