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17 votes
3 answers
4k views

What is π_1(BG) for an arbitrary topological group $G$?

The classifying space $BG=|Nerve(G)|$ of an arbitrary topological group $G$ does not necessarily have the homotopy type of a CW-complex but the fundamental group should still be accessible. What is $\...
Jeremy Brazas's user avatar
13 votes
4 answers
5k views

Fundamental group of Lie groups

Let $T$ be a torus $V/\Gamma$, $\gamma$ a loop on $T$ based at the origin. Then it is easy to see that $$2 \gamma = \gamma \ast \gamma \in \pi_1(T).$$ Here $2 \gamma$ is obtained by rescaling $\gamma$...
Andrea Ferretti's user avatar
51 votes
5 answers
9k views

Fundamental group as topological group

Background Let $(X,x)$ be a pointed topological space. Then the fundamental group $\pi_1(X,x)$ becomes a topological space: Endow the set of maps $S^1 \to X$ with the compact-open topology, endow the ...
Martin Brandenburg's user avatar
16 votes
6 answers
6k views

Fundamental group of the line with the double origin.

In the simplest cases, the fundamental group serves as a measure of the number of 2-dimensional "holes" in a space. It is interesting to know whether they capture the following type of "hole". This ...
Akela's user avatar
  • 3,699
9 votes
2 answers
2k views

Functoriality of fundamental group via deck transformations

Problem I'm trying to understand this with a view towards the etale fundamental group where we can't talk about loops. What I'm missing is how the fundamental group functor should work on morphisms, ...
Makhalan Duff's user avatar
62 votes
9 answers
9k views

Fundamental groups of noncompact surfaces

I got fantastic answers to my previous question (about modern references for the fact that surfaces can be triangulated), so I thought I'd ask a related question. A basic fact about surface topology ...
Andy Putman's user avatar
  • 44.8k

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