lavinia said:
What is the topology that you want?
If it is R with the topology of a line modulo the discrete group of integer multiples of 2pi, then use the definition of open set in the quotient topology to show that every open cover has a finite subcover. You need to know that a closed interval is compact.
Isn't the quotient topology assumed when talking about a quotient?
It seems like the open sets here would be the sets (a,b); 0<a,b<2∏ , which lift to
the open sets U(a±2k∏, b± 2k∏ ); for k integer, in ℝ
Then, since compactness is hereditary, and this topology is smaller than the subspace topology in [0,2∏],
(which is a compact space), then the quotient is compact.
EDIT:
Correction: the quotient topology agrees with the subspace topology of S^1 in R^2. By, e.g., mathwonk's map f, which descends to
a homeo f^ between R/~ and S^1, subspace (since the map is constant in R/~) , and which can be shown to be continuous and onto.
Then, by homeo., R/~ is also compact. If you want an argument by subcovers, do the argument in S^1, and pull back to R/~ by the homeo f^