The homotopy group of the projected space DP1

The homotopy group of the projected space DP1 can be viewed in two ways: 1) it is identical to that of the circle, which is Z, or 2) it is shown that the only loop in DP1 that cannot be shrank to a point is the open route from 0 to pi.
  • #1
wdlang
307
0
take a circle in a plane

identify two opposite points

we get the projected space DP1

about the homotopy group of DP1, i have two answers

first, we take the upper semicircle from 0 to pi, and identify 0 with pi, by this way, we get a circle again. So the homotopy of DP1 should be identical to that of the circle, which is Z.

second, it is often shown that the only loop in DP1 that cannot be shrank to a point is the open route from 0 to pi

i am really puzzled
 
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  • #2
wdlang said:
take a circle in a plane

identify two opposite points

we get the projected space DP1

about the homotopy group of DP1, i have two answers

first, we take the upper semicircle from 0 to pi, and identify 0 with pi, by this way, we get a circle again. So the homotopy of DP1 should be identical to that of the circle, which is Z.

second, it is often shown that the only loop in DP1 that cannot be shrank to a point is the open route from 0 to pi

i am really puzzled

you are right - the circle with opposite points identified is another circle.
 

1. What is the homotopy group of the projected space DP1?

The homotopy group of the projected space DP1, also known as the complex projective line, is denoted as π1(DP1) and it is isomorphic to the integers (ℤ). This means that its fundamental group consists of elements that can be represented by integer values.

2. What is the significance of the homotopy group of DP1?

The homotopy group of DP1 is significant because it provides information about the topology of this space. It tells us about the number of connected components and the presence of higher-dimensional holes, which are important in understanding the behavior of continuous functions on DP1.

3. How is the homotopy group of DP1 calculated?

The homotopy group of DP1 can be calculated using algebraic topology techniques, specifically the use of covering spaces and the fundamental group. It involves finding all possible loops in DP1 and then classifying them according to their homotopy classes, which correspond to elements in the homotopy group.

4. What is the relation between the homotopy group of DP1 and other topological invariants?

The homotopy group of DP1 is closely related to other topological invariants such as the homology and cohomology groups. In particular, the first homology group of DP1 is isomorphic to its fundamental group, and the first cohomology group is isomorphic to the dual of its fundamental group.

5. How does changing the base point affect the homotopy group of DP1?

The homotopy group of DP1 is dependent on the choice of base point, as it is defined in terms of loops starting and ending at a specific point. Changing the base point can result in a change in the isomorphism class of the fundamental group, but the overall structure and properties of the homotopy group remain the same.

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