Introduction to Topology

Exercises IV

November 2013

Section A
1. Suppose that B is a path-connected set and that p : E B is a covering map. Show that for
all pairs of points y1 , y2 B, there is a bijection p1 (y1 ) p1 (y2 ).
2. Suppose that p : Y Y is a covering map. Show that
(a) If Y is locally path-connected then so is Y .
(b) If Y is Hausdorff then so is Y .
3. Show that if p : Y Y is a covering map then for every y Y , p1 (y) (the fibre over y) is a
discrete space.
4. Show that if Y Y is a covering map and we define an equivalence relation on Y by y1 y2
if p(
y1 ) = p(
y2 ) then the quotient space Y / is homeomorphic to Y . Hint: draw the usual diagram
Y <

<<
<<p
<<

<
Y _ _ _/
Y

5. Let p : Y Y be a covering map, and let Y0 Y . Show that p| : p1 (Y0 ) Y0 is a covering map. Hint: show first that if V Y is well-covered by p then Y0 V is well-covered by
p| : p1 (Y0 ) Y0 .
6. Suppose that p : A B is a covering map of degree m, and q : B C is a covering map of
degree n. Show that q p : A C is a covering map of degree mn.
Section B
7. Each of the following integer matrices A defines a map R2 R2 which passes to the quotient
to define a covering map A : T T , as described in Example 4.0.7(5) in the Lecture Notes. For
It is enough to pick a single point in T and
each of the following matrices A, find the degree of A.
count its preimages.


1 0
(a) A =
0 2


1 1
(b) A =
0 2


a 0
(c) A =
where a and b are non-zero integers.
0 b


1 1
(d) A =
0 1
1

8. Let X be a locally path-connected space. Show that for each x0 X, the path-component of
X containing x0 (i.e. the set of points in X that can be joined to x0 by a path in X) is open in
X. Hint: look at the left-hand part of the picture in the proof of Theorem 4.0.11 in the lecture notes.
9.(i) Given a diagram
Y

/Y

define
X Y Y = {(x, y) X Y : f (x) = p(
y ).}
and let q : X Y Y X be the usual projection (x, y) 7 x. Show that
(a) if p is a homeomorphism then so is q.
(b) if p is a covering map then so is q, and in this case p and q have the same degree.
10. Prove Lemma 4.1.4 in the lecture notes: Suppose that f : M N is a continuous map with
the property that for all x M , there are open neighbourhoods U of x and V of f (x) (in M and
N respectively) such that f | : U V is a homeomorphism. Suppose that M is compact and N is
connected and Hausdorff. Then
(a) f is surjective,
(b) f is finite-to-one, and
(c) f is a covering map.
Hint:(1) f (M ) is compact therefore closed. Its also open.(2) Because N is Hausdorff, for each
y N the set {y} is closed. Hence f 1 (y) is closed and therefore compact. If f 1 (y) is infinite
then by compactness it contains a convergent sequence (xn ) with xi 6= xj for all i 6= j. (3) For each
y N , f 1 (y) is finite. For each point xi f 1 (y) there are neighbourhoods Ui of xi , Vi of y such
that f | : Ui Vi is a homeomorphism. Take V = Vi .
Section C
11. Let p : R2 T be the usual covering of the torus, defined by composing exp exp : R2 S 1
S 1 with the homeomorphism S 1 S 1 T . Let ` be the line {(x1 , x2 ) R2 : x2 = x1 }, where
is an irrational number.
(i) Show that the restriction of p to ` is 1-1.
(ii) Let A [0, 1] be the set of remainders, modulo Z, of integer multiples of . That is, A consists
of all [0, 1] such that there exist m, n Z such that = m + n. Show that for each B,
the point (0, ) lies on an integer translate ` + (m, n) of ` (the set {(x1 +
m, x2 + n) : (x1 , x

2 ) `.}
0
0
for some fixed (m, n) Z Z). Note that (i) shows that ` + (m, n) ` + (m , n ) = if
(m, n) 6= (m0 , n0 ).
(iii) Using, without proof, the fact that A is dense in [0, 1], show that
[
` + (m, n)
(m,n)ZZ

is dense in R2 .
(iv) Show that the image of ` is dense in T .
(v) Show that p(`) is path-connected but not locally path connected.
(vi) Show that if U is the image in T of a circle of radius < 1/2 in R2 then the path components
of p(`) U are not open in p(`) U .


a b
12. Do Exercise 5 above for the general integer matrix
where ad bc 6= 0. Hint: Exercise
c d
6 and Exercise 7 parts (3) and (4).
13. Prove Proposition 4.0.3 in the Lecture Notes: that a 2 2 integer matrix with non-zero determinant passes to the quotient to define a covering map T T , where T is the torus.
14. The 3-sphere S 3 is in fact a group: it can be identified with the unit quaternions
H1 := {a + bi + cj + dk : a2 + b2 + c2 + d2 = 1}
which is a (multiplicative) subgroup of the multiplicative group of non-zero quaternions H. One
might expect that for n 6= 0, the map H1 H1 sending z to z n would be a covering map, as it is
in the case of S 1 . But we have seen that it can not be, since S 3 is simply connected. What goes
wrong?