HOMEWORK SHEET 2

ALGEBRAIC TOPOLOGY
INSTRUCTOR: HAMILTON

(1) Compute the fundamental group of the following spaces using the Seifert-van
Kampen Theorem:
(a) X = S 2
(b) X = RP2 , the real projective plane, which is obtained by identifying the
boundary of a square I I according to the following arrows:

Figure 1. RP2 .
(2) Let

e X
:X
be a covering space. Show that the fiber
e : (y) = x}
1 (x) := {y X

over any point x X is discrete.

(3) Suppose that
e X and 2 : Ye Y
1 : X
are two covering spaces. Show that
e Ye X Y
1 2 : X
is a covering space.
(4) Let

e X
:X
be a covering space. Show that for any x, y X, there is a bijection between the
fibers 1 (x) and 1 (y).
[Hint: Construct this bijection using Lemma 7.3.]