7.05 Fundamental group of the circle
Below the video you will find accompanying notes and some pre-class questions.
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Notes
Fundamental group of the circle
(0.00) In this section, we will see a proof that π1(S1,1)=Z.
Given an integer n, define the loop δn(t):=e2πint.
Define the homomorphism F:Z→π1(S1,1) by F(n)=[δn]. We need to check:
- this is a homomorphism,
- F is injective,
- F is surjective.
F is a homomorphism
(2.23) To see that F(m+n)=F(m)⋅F(n), we need to check that δn⋅δm≃δm+n [NOTE: I got my concatenation the wrong way around in the video]. Let p:R→S1 be the covering map p(x)=eix and let ˜δn be the unique lift of δn with the initial condition ˜δn(0)=0, in other words δn(t)=ei˜δn(t).
(4.03) Let ˜δm be the unique lift of δm to the same covering space with ˜δm(0)=˜δn(1). The concatenation ˜δn⋅˜δm makes sense and is a lift of δn⋅δm.
(5.23) Finally, let ˜δm+n be the unique lift of δm+n to the same covering space with ˜δm+n(0)=0.
(6.28) We have ˜δm+n(t)=2π(m+n)t)˜δm(t)=2πmt˜δn(t)=2π(nt+m)
(9.16) Since R is simply-connected, any two paths with the same endpoints are homotopic rel endpoints, so ˜δm⋅˜δn≃˜δm+n via a homotopy H. The homotopy p∘H is then a homotopy δn⋅δm≃δm+n.
F is injective
(11.18) For this, we will show that, for a suitable covering space, the monodromy σδn is nontrivial. Let p:R→S1 be the covering space p(x)=eix. For each 2πk∈2πZ=p−1(1), the path ˜δn(t)=2π(nt+k) is a lift of the loop δn with initial condition 2πk, so σδn(2πk)=˜δn(1)=2π(n+k).
F is surjective
Pre-class questions
- What was the key property of the covering space
p:R→S1 which made this proof work?
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- Index of all lectures.