All Questions
Tagged with gn.general-topology homotopy-theory
141 questions
66
votes
4
answers
6k
views
Is $\mathbb{R}^3 \setminus \mathbb{Q}^3$ simply connected?
Similarly is the complement of any countable set in $\mathbb R^3$ simply connected?
Reading around I found plenty of articles discussing the path connectedness $\mathbb R^2 \setminus \mathbb Q^2$ and ...
- 1,187
48
votes
6
answers
4k
views
Why the "W" in CGWH (compactly generated weakly Hausdorff spaces)?
In his 1967 paper A convenient category of topological spaces,
Norman Steenrod introduced the category CGH of compactly generated Hausdorff spaces
as a good replacement of the category Top topological ...
- 43.2k
39
votes
3
answers
6k
views
Why do finite homotopy groups imply finite homology groups?
Why does a space with finite homotopy groups [for every n] have finite homology groups? How can I proof this [not only for connected spaces with trivial fundamental group]? The converse is false. $\...
- 2,782
36
votes
3
answers
6k
views
In a topological space if there exists a loop that cannot be contracted to a point does there exist a simple loop that cannot be contracted also?
I'm interested in whether one only needs to consider simple loops when proving results about simply connected spaces.
If it is true that:
In a Topological Space, if there exists a loop that cannot ...
- 4,862
35
votes
2
answers
5k
views
Why should have Peter May worked with CGWH instead of CGH in "The Geometry of Iterated Loop Space"?
This is a follow-up to Dan Ramras' answer of this question.
The following correction can be found in the errata to The Geometry of Iterated Loop space (Page 484 here).
The weak Hausdorff rather ...
- 2,974
33
votes
2
answers
2k
views
What happened to the last work Gaunce Lewis was doing when he died?
In 2006, Gaunce Lewis died at the age of 56. He'd done important work setting up equivariant stable homotopy theory, and I think it's fair to say his work was far ahead of its time. In recent years, ...
- 30.3k
30
votes
5
answers
4k
views
The role of ANR in modern topology
Absolute neighborhood retracts (ANRs) are topological spaces $X$ which, whenever $i\colon X\to Y$ is an embedding into a normal topological space $Y$, there exists a neighborhood $U$ of $i(X)$ in $Y$ ...
25
votes
1
answer
5k
views
Example of fiber bundle that is not a fibration
It is well-known that a fiber bundle under some mild hypothesis is a fibration, but I don't know any examples of fiber bundles which aren't (Hurewicz) fibrations (they should be weird examples, I ...
- 253
19
votes
1
answer
1k
views
What if homotopy were expanded to allow any connected space instead of $[0,1]$?
What would happen to homotopy theory if we used a more general definition of homotopy, based on general connected spaces rather than $[0,1]$?
Given continuous $f,g:X\to Y$, define $f$ and $g$ to be C-...
- 2,585
17
votes
10
answers
3k
views
References for homotopy colimit
(1) What are some good references for homotopy colimits?
(2) Where can I find a reference for the following concrete construction of a homotopy colimit? Start with a partial ordering, which I will ...
- 12.8k
15
votes
1
answer
839
views
Homotopy pullback of a homotopy pushout is a homotopy pushout
Let's assume that we have a cube of spaces such that everything commutes up to homotopy.
The following holds:
- The right square is a homotopy pushout and
- all the squares in the middle are ...
- 181
14
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Well-pointed space which is not locally contractible
I am looking for an example of a well-pointed space in which no (sufficiently small) neighbourhood of the base-point is contractible. As usual, a well-pointed space is a pointed space in which the ...
- 6,210
14
votes
1
answer
604
views
Continuum Hypothesis and the fact that every co-finite topological space, with uncountable underlying set , is contractible
Let $X$ be a co-finite topological space. If $|X| \ge 2^{\aleph_0}=\mathfrak c$, then $X$ is contractible (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contractible_space) . Indeed, there is a bijection $f: X \times ...
user111524
13
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Elementary proof that $\mathbb{R}^3 \setminus \{p_1,\dots,p_n\}$ is not homeomorphic to $\mathbb{R}^3$
I was wondering if there were a proof of the fact that $$\mathbb{R}^3 \setminus \{p_1,\dots,p_n\} \: \text{is not homeomorphic to} \: \mathbb{R}^3$$
for every $n \geq 1$
that does not use cohomology ...
- 1,343
13
votes
2
answers
659
views
Noncontractible connected topological rings ?
Are there any non-contractible connected topological rings?
Of course, such a thing cannot be a (topological) algebra over the reals.
(I have a vague memory of having a glance at an erticle by Lurie ...
- 23.3k
13
votes
1
answer
727
views
Explicit isomorphism $\pi_{n+1}(\mathbb{RP}^n) \cong \pi_1(\mathbb{RP}^{n-1})$
From covering space theory we know that $\pi_{n+1}(\mathbb{RP}^n) \cong \pi_{n+1}(\mathbb{S}^n)$.
From wikipedia I can notice that $\pi_{n+1}(\mathbb{S}^n) \cong \pi_1(\mathbb{RP}^{n-1})$.*
My ...
- 1,263
12
votes
1
answer
746
views
Open subspaces of CW complexes
I am looking at the paper
Covering homotopy properties of maps between CW complexes or ANRs
by
Mark Steinberger and James West
and a claim is made in the proof of their first main theorem ...
- 12.5k
12
votes
1
answer
832
views
Space with semi-locally simply connected open subsets
A topological space $X$ is semi-locally simply connected if, for any $x\in X$, there exists an open neighbourhood $U$ of $x$ such that any loop in $U$ is homotopically equivalent to a constant one in $...
- 303
11
votes
3
answers
1k
views
Which properties of finite simplicial sets can be computed?
A simplicial set $X$ is a a combinatorial model for a topological space $|X|$, its realization, and conversely every topological space is weakly equivalent to such a realization of a simplicial set. I ...
- 727
11
votes
3
answers
733
views
Relationship between universal coefficient theorem and $[K(\mathbb{Z},n), K(G,n)]$?
In short, I'm wondering whether the universal coefficient theorem can be understood/reinterpreted by using maps of Eilenberg-MacLane spaces. This is a wishy-washy idea and I don't have evidence to ...
- 6,069
11
votes
1
answer
948
views
In a subset of $\mathbb{R}^2$ which is not simply connected does there exist a simple loop that does not contract to a point?
I previously asked In which topological spaces does the existence of a loop not contractable to a point imply there is a non-contractable simple loop also?
Given the broad scope of this question I ...
- 4,862
11
votes
1
answer
849
views
The (fiber of the) cofiber of the fiber of a map of spaces
Consider a fiber sequence of spaces
$$F \overset{i}{\to} E \to B$$
The cofiber $C(i)$ of the inclusion of the fiber comes with a canonical map $C(i) \to B$. Its possible to show (using some point ...
- 7,789
11
votes
1
answer
493
views
A topological tree is weakly contractible
Let us call a nonempty topological space a topological tree if it is Hausdorff and for two distinct points there is a continuous injective path connecting the points, which is unique up to ...
- 609
11
votes
1
answer
997
views
How many model category structures are there on Top?
I recently started learning a little model category theory and in particular I found this nice exercise. I only know a little topology, but this prompted me to wonder how many model category ...
- 401
10
votes
1
answer
497
views
Is every locally compactly generated space compactly generated?
[Parse it as (locally compact)ly generated.]
I stumbled across this one whilst supervising an undergraduate thesis. Convenient categories for homotopy theory (e.g. CGWH) have been discussed here ...
- 103
10
votes
4
answers
2k
views
Complements of Simply Connected Subsets of the Plane
this is my first question here! Hopefully it is appropriate. Let $\mathbb{A}$ be the punctured plane, i.e. the 'standard' annulus. For compact, connected subsets of the plane (planar continua) $X \...
- 439
10
votes
0
answers
545
views
When is the one-point compactification well-pointed?
This is a follow up to my previous
question.
Question:
Is there a reasonably natural set of conditions which guarantee that the one-point
compactification $X^+$ of a locally compact Hausdorff ...
- 18.8k
9
votes
1
answer
3k
views
The Wedge Sum of path connected topological spaces
A definition of wedge sum can be found here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wedge_sum
My professor has claimed that wedge sums of path connected spaces X and Y are well-defined up to homotopy ...
- 95
9
votes
1
answer
425
views
Delta-generated spaces vs CW complexes
$\newcommand\Top{\mathrm{Top}}\newcommand\CW{\mathrm{CW}}\newcommand\Deltagenerated{\text{$\Delta$-generated}}\newcommand\Spaces{\mathrm{Spaces}}\newcommand\DeltaSpaces{\text{$\Delta$-Spaces}}$I am ...
- 521
9
votes
2
answers
2k
views
In CGWH, is every cofibration an inclusion with closed image?
As the title suggests, in CGWH, is every cofibration an inclusion with closed image?
- 91
9
votes
1
answer
625
views
Stable presentable categories as module categories
There is a theorem of Schwede and Shipley which classifies categories of modules over an A∞ ring spectrum as those stable presentable (∞,1)-categories with a compact generator. Suppose I ...
- 25.2k
9
votes
1
answer
541
views
cohomology of classifying space of permutation groups
Let $\Sigma_k$ be the permutation group of order $k$.
Let $r: \Sigma_k\to GL(k)$ be the regular representation by permuting the order of the standard basis of $\mathbb{R}^n$.
Let $\rho: B\Sigma_k\...
- 1,990
9
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Are there intuitively clear and not technical proofs of homotopy excision theorem?
The proof given in May's "A concise course in algebraic topology", for instance, is not very involved, but quite technical. Are there less technical, but more "ideologically profound&...
- 99
9
votes
0
answers
333
views
Homotopical characterization of CW complexes
Let $X$ be a compact metrizable topological space of covering dimension $n\leq 3$.
Is it possible to give a necessary and sufficient condition for $X$ to be a CW complex in terms of the homotopy types ...
- 117
9
votes
0
answers
200
views
Homotopical characterization of manifolds
Let $X$ be a compact metrizable topological space of covering dimension $4$.
Assume that for any point $x\in X$ any neighbourhood of $x$ contains a contractible open neighbourhood $U$ such that $U\...
- 117
9
votes
0
answers
754
views
Standard model structures on $Top$
Call a model structure on $Top$ (the category of topological spaces) standard, if the weak equivalences are the weak homotopy equivalences. In this nLab page, two standard model structures on $Top$ ...
- 1,344
8
votes
2
answers
924
views
On a weaker version of homotopy equivalence between topological spaces
Consider two topological spaces $X$ and $Y$.
The notion of homotopy equivalence between $X$ and $Y$ is defined as a pair of continuous maps $f:X\to Y$ and $g:Y\to X$ such that $f\circ g$ and $g\circ ...
- 1,035
8
votes
1
answer
468
views
Finite domination and compact ENRs
Edit: In the comments, Tyrone points out that West's positive answer to Borsuk's conjecture implies that every compact ENR is homotopy equivalent to a finite CW complex. It follows that the only ...
- 18.8k
8
votes
2
answers
592
views
Base change for category objects in topological spaces
I was prompted by this question, but the motivation is different.
Suppose we have an internal category object in topological spaces, i.e. an object space X and a morphism space Y, together with ...
- 52.6k
7
votes
1
answer
1k
views
A problem on infinite dimensional metric space
Let $(X_{n},d_{n})_{n \in \mathbb{N}}$ be a sequence of complete geodesic metric spaces such that:
$X_{n}$ is a regular$^1$ CW-complex of constant local dimension$^3$ $n$, it is of finite type$^4$...
7
votes
1
answer
437
views
Proper homotopy
Let $F: X \times [0, 1] \to Y$ be a homotopy such that for any $t \in [0,1]$ the map $F( \cdot, t) : X \to Y$ is proper. Is it true in general that $F$ is proper?
I am interested in particular in ...
- 823
7
votes
1
answer
304
views
Does the CGWH-fication change the (weak) homotopy type?
Let $Top$, $CG$, $WH$, $CGWH$ be the categories of topological spaces, compactly generated spaces, weak Hausdorff spaces and compactly generated weak Hausdorff spaces.
There is the CG-ification $X_{...
- 71
7
votes
3
answers
911
views
A fibrant-objects structure on Top
(Sorry for the crossposting, but I'm really interested in this question).
One can define (Paragraph 1.5, page 10) a fibrant-object structure on a suitable cartesian closed category of topological ...
- 13.6k
7
votes
2
answers
643
views
Proper maps and transversality
I'll begin with the question, which is intrinsically interesting:
Let M be a manifold with some submanifold Y. Suppose that $W \rightarrow M$ is a smooth, proper map. Does there exist another map $...
- 13.5k
7
votes
1
answer
226
views
Are maps homotopic with respect to a uniform number of local homotopies
I've encountered the following problem that I'm sure someone more topologically inclined can answer:
Say that a homotopy of maps $f:X\times[0,1)\to Y$ between two compact smooth manifolds $X$ and $Y$ ...
- 646
7
votes
1
answer
200
views
Quasifibrations and transfinite filtrations
This question takes place in the category $\mathrm{CGWH}$
of compactly generated weak Hausdorff spaces.
Let $\lambda$ be a limit ordinal, and suppose we have
a diagram $\Phi: \lambda \to \mathrm{CGWH}$...
- 12.5k
6
votes
4
answers
926
views
On the homotopy type of $\mathbb{QP}^\infty$
It can be shown that the infinite-dimensional rational projective space $\mathbb{QP}^\infty$ is a connected, Hausdorff topological space. What can be said about its homotopy type (is it simply ...
- 13.6k
6
votes
2
answers
552
views
Is there a good concept of a measurable fibration?
In probability theory, there are many results which are valid in purely measurable settings, usually beginning with the assumption, "let $(\Omega, \mathcal F, \mathbb P)$ be an abstract probability ...
- 8,512
6
votes
2
answers
406
views
Is an open subset of a cofibration a cofibration?
Suppose $A \to X$ is a cofibration in topological spaces, and $U \subseteq X$ is an open subset. Is $U \cap A \to U$ a cofibration?
Sorry if this is rather simple, but I don't have much experience ...
- 1,347
6
votes
1
answer
327
views
Is being an NDR a local property?
I've asked this on MathSE without success:
https://math.stackexchange.com/questions/1929559/is-being-an-ndr-a-local-property
A pair of topological spaces $(X,A)$ is an NDR (neighborhood deformation ...
- 175