All Questions

For any group $G$ we can form the lower central series of normal subgroups by taking $G_0 = G$, $G_1 = [G,G]$, $G_{i+1} = [G,G_i]$. We can check this gives a normal chain $$G_0 \ge G_1 \ge ... \ge G_i ...

Let $Y$ be a contractible finite simplicial 2-complex. Let $X$ be an acyclic subcomplex of $Y$ (i.e. $X$ connected, $H_1(X)=0$, $H_2(X)=0$). Is $X$ contractible? (Equivalently, is $\pi_1(X)$ trivial?)...

Let us assume that $f:X \to Y$ is a map of connected CW complexes, having the following property: if $K$ is a finite CW complex, then the induced map $f_{\ast}:[K,X] \to [K,Y]$ on \emph{free} homotopy ...

Let $A$ be a subgroup of a group $G$. Then since $A$ is a subgroup of the fundamental group $\pi_1(K(G,1))=G$, there is a covering space $p\colon Y\to K(G,1)$ with $p_*(\pi_1(Y))=A$. So the homology ...

Let \begin{equation} A\stackrel{\alpha}{\longrightarrow}B\stackrel{\beta}{\longrightarrow}C\quad\quad (1) \end{equation} be a short sequence of (abelian or nonabelian) groups and homomorphisms. We say ...