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Seifert–van Kampen identifies the fundamental group with a group pushout
Statement
Let , where and are open path-connected subsets of , let be path-connected, and fix . For the inclusion-induced maps in the diagram
the group , together with the two inclusion-induced homomorphisms, is a pushout (Pushouts of group homomorphisms). Equivalently, the canonical homomorphism from any pushout of the displayed diagram to is an isomorphism. No injectivity of either map from the overlap group is assumed.
Facts & Assumptions
Given: The cover and basepoint in the Statement, a pushout with factor maps , and the inclusion-induced maps to .
Every loop class in has a finite factorization by inclusion-images of loop classes from and (Loops over a two-set path-connected open cover factor through the covering sets).
All subordinate factorizations of homotopic based loops have one common value in (Homotopic-loop factorizations have the same value in the group pushout).
For arbitrary group homomorphisms and , the quotient of by the normal closure of the amalgamating relations is a pushout, so a pushout of the displayed diagram exists (A group pushout is the quotient of a free product by the amalgamating relations).
Every compatible pair of homomorphisms out of the two factors of a group pushout factors through a unique homomorphism from the pushout (Pushouts of group homomorphisms).
Pointed inclusions induce group homomorphisms on fundamental groups (The homomorphism on fundamental groups induced by a pointed continuous map).
Proof
Choose the pushout supplied by [L3]. The two inclusion-induced homomorphisms from and to agree on , since both composites are induced by the same inclusion. By [F1], they therefore define a unique homomorphism satisfying and .
For , let be the element of that is the value of some subordinate factorization of some loop representing . Such a factorization exists by [L1], and [L2] says that all representatives and all their factorizations give the same value. Thus exactly one such element exists for each , so this rule defines a function without selecting factorizations globally. Concatenating two factorizations concatenates their words, hence is a homomorphism.
If is represented by a factorized loop, applying to its pushout word restores the same product of inclusion-images, which is by [L1]. Hence .
For , the one-factor factorization of its image gives , and similarly on the factor. Thus agrees with the identity after composition with both factor maps. Uniqueness in [F1] makes .
The homomorphisms and are inverse, so is an isomorphism and has the asserted pushout property.
Depends on
- Loops over a two-set path-connected open cover factor through the covering sets
- Homotopic-loop factorizations have the same value in the group pushout
- A group pushout is the quotient of a free product by the amalgamating relations
- Pushouts of group homomorphisms
- The homomorphism on fundamental groups induced by a pointed continuous map
- Loop classes form the group $\pi_1(X,x_0)$ under concatenation
- Group isomorphisms, automorphisms and the set $\operatorname{Aut}(G)$
Used by
Dependency tree · two levels
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Sources
- Allen Hatcher, Algebraic Topology, Theorem 1.20 (standard reference, not scraped)
- J. Peter May, A Concise Course in Algebraic Topology, Chapter 2, Section 7 (standard reference, not scraped)