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Rodrigo A. Pérez
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Embed the Cayley graph of the free group $F_2$ in $\mathbb{R}^2 \subset \mathbb{R}^3$ (note that the edges must shrink geometrically to avoid self-intersection). Increase the vertical component of each vertex by $n$, where $n$ is its distance to the identity. This is your isotopy at $t=0$. Now, as $t \to 1$, stretch the edges to unit length and scale the vertical height of vertices by $(1-t)$, so they full thing comes to rest back on the plane. In the end you covered the infinite square grid that represents the Cayley graph of $\mathbb{Z} \times \mathbb{Z}$.

For a second example, take the standard Cantor set in $[-1,1]$. It consists of two copies of itself scaled down by $1/3$ in $\big[-1,-\frac13\big] \cup \big[\frac13,1\big]$. As $t \to 1$, rotate $[-1,0]$ by $\pi t$ about 0, while rescaling by $3t$ and translating the fold point to $-t$. The Cantor set covered itself !

Rodrigo A. Pérez
  • 3.1k
  • 2
  • 41
  • 47