More generally, is called the direct sum of a finite set of subgroups of the map
is a topological isomorphism.
If a topological group is the topological direct sum of the family of subgroups then in particular, as an abstract group (without topology) it is also the direct sum (in the usual way) of the family
Topological direct summands
Given a topological group we say that a subgroup is a topological direct summand of (or that splits topologically from ) if and only if there exist another subgroup such that is the direct sum of the subgroups and
A the subgroup is a topological direct summand if and only if the extension of topological groups
splits, where is the natural inclusion and is the natural projection.
^E. Hewitt and K. A. Ross, Abstract harmonic analysis. Vol. I, second edition, Grundlehren der Mathematischen Wissenschaften, 115, Springer, Berlin, 1979. MR0551496 (81k:43001)
^Armacost, David L. The structure of locally compact abelian groups. Monographs and Textbooks in Pure and Applied Mathematics, 68. Marcel Dekker, Inc., New York, 1981. vii+154 pp. ISBN0-8247-1507-1 MR0637201 (83h:22010)