Topological groups: how to choose a topology for a group, and do we need to?

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I am learning about topological groups, and keep getting confused when I try to be precise about exactly what the structure is. I have also seen that most textbooks omit a specific topology on a group altogether, simply stating that it is a topological group.

For example, in Munkres' 'Topology', there are supplementary exercises asking you to prove that $(\mathbb{R}, +)$ is a topological group, but no topology is specified.

Do we always assume that the topology on a group is the most "obvious" one? Do certain groups have a property where the group operation map and inversion map are always continuous, regardless of the topology?

I hope my question is clear enough. Thanks